且說琴言回寓，氣倒了，哭了半日，即和衣蒙被而臥。千悔萬悔，不應該去看聘才。知他通同一路，有心欺他，受了這場戲侮，恨不得要尋死，淒悽慘慘，恨了半夜。睡到早晨，尚未曾醒，他小使進來推醒了他，說道：「怡園徐老爺來叫你，說叫你快去，梅少爺已先到了。」琴言起來，小使折好了被，琴言淨了臉，喝了碗茶。因昨日氣了一天，哭了半夜，前兩天又勞乏了，此時覺得頭暈眼花，口中乾燥，好不難受。勉強扎掙住了，換了衣賞，把鏡子照了一照，覺得面貌清減了些。又復坐了一會，神思懶怠。已到午初，勉力上車，往怡園來。
此日是二月初一，園中梅花尚未開遍，茶花、玉蘭正開。
今日之約，劉文澤、顏仲清、田春航不來，因為是春航會同年團拜，文澤、王恂是座師的世兄，故大家請了他。春航並請仲清，仲清新受感冒，兩處都辭了。王恂也辭了那邊，清早就約同子玉到怡園，次賢、子雲接進梅崦坐下。這梅崦是個梅花樣式，五間一處，共有五處。長廊曲檻鉤連，綠萼紅香圍繞。外邊望著，也認不清屋宇，唯覺一片香雪而已。子玉每到園中，必須賞玩幾處。子雲道：「今日之局，人頗不齊，這月裡戲酒甚多。我想玉儂回來，尚有二十餘日之久，這梅花還可開得十天。我要作個十日之敘，不拘人多人少，誰空閒即誰來，即或我有事不在園裡，靜宜總在家，盡可作得主人。庸庵、庾香以為何如？」王恂道：「就是這樣。如果有空，我是必來的。」子玉道：「依我，也不必天天盡要主人費心，誰人有興就移樽就教也可，或格外尋個消遣法兒。」次賢道：「若說消遣之法盡多，就是我們這一班人，心無專好，就比人清淡得多了。譬如幾人聚著打牌擲骰，甚至押寶搖攤，否則打鑼鼓，看戲法，聽盲詞，在人皆可消遣。再不然叫班子唱戲，槍刀如林，筋斗滿地，自己再包上頭，開了臉，上臺唱一齣，得意揚揚的下來，也是消遣法。還有那青樓曲巷，擁著粉面油頭，打情罵俏，鬧成一團。非但我不能，諸公諒亦不好。」子雲等都說：「極是，教你這一說，我們究還算不得愛熱鬧，但天下事莫樂於飲酒看花了。」王恂對子雲道：「我有一句話要你評評。」子雲道：「你且說來。」王恂道：「人中花與花中花，孰美？」子雲笑道：「各有美處。」王恂道：「二者不可得兼，還是取人，還是取花？」子雲笑道：「你真是糊塗話，自然人貴花賤，這還問什麼呢？」次賢道：「他這話必有個意思在內，不是泛說的。」
子雲微笑。王恂笑道：「我見你滿園子都是花，我們談了這半日，不見一個人中花來，不是你愛花不愛人麼？」子雲笑道：「你不過是這麼說呀，前日約得好好兒的，怎麼此刻還不見來呢？」少頃，寶珠、桂保來了，見過了。子雲道：「怎麼這時候還只得你們兩個人來？」寶珠道：「今日恐有個不能來。玉儂還沒有來嗎？」桂保道：「今日聯錦是五包堂會，聯珠是四包堂會。大約盡唱昆戲，腳色分派不開，我們都唱過一堂的了。」王恂道：「何以今日這麼多呢？」桂保道：「再忙半個月也就閒了。」寶珠道：「我見湘帆、前舟在那裡，劍潭何以不來？」王恂道：「身子不爽快。」桂保謂子玉道：「今年我們還是頭一回見面。」子玉道：「正是，我卻出來過幾次，總沒有見你。」寶珠道：「今日香畹與靜芳苦了，處處有他們的戲，是再不能來了。」子雲道：「我算有六七人可來，誰曉得都不能來。」將到午正，桂保往外一望，道：「玉儂來了！」大家一齊望著他進來。子玉見他比去年高了好些，穿一套素淡衣賞，走入梅花林內，覺得人花一色，耀眼鮮明。大家含笑相迎，琴言上前先見了次賢、子雲、王恂，復與子玉見了，問了幾句寒慍。子雲笑道：「如今人也高了，學問也長了。你看他竟與庾香敘起寒溫來，若去年就未必能這樣。」琴言聽了，不好意思道：「他是半年沒有見面了。」子雲道：「我們又何曾常見面？」琴言笑道：「新年上你同靜宜來拜年，不是見過的？」次賢笑道：「是了，大約見過一次，就可以不說什麼了。」說得琴言笑起來。王恂道：「只有我與玉儂見面時最少。」琴言也點一點頭，然後與寶珠、桂保同坐一邊。寶珠推他上坐，他就坐了。
子雲吩咐擺起席面來，也不送酒。子雲對王恂道：「論年齒，吾弟長於庾香，但今日之酌特為玉儂而設，要玉儂坐個首席，庾香作陪。」琴言道：「這個如何使得？我是不坐的。」子玉道：「應是庸庵。」子雲道：「往日原是這樣，今日卻要倒轉來。」便拉定琴言坐了首席，子玉並之。桂保坐了二席，王恂並之，不准再遜，遜者罰酒十杯。子雲又叫寶珠坐在上面，寶珠要推時，見蕙芳來了。子雲道：「好，好，你來坐了，次賢相並。」蕙芳不肯坐在次賢之上。次賢道：「今日所定之席，皆是你們為上，我們為次，你不見已定了兩位嗎？」蕙芳只得依了，下面寶珠也只得坐在子雲之上。坐定了，王恂笑道：「外邊館子上，若便依這坐法，便可倒貼開發。」眾皆微笑，互相讓了幾杯酒，隨意吃了幾樣菜。
寶珠看琴言的眼睛似像哭腫的，想是為師傅了。子雲也看出來，太息了一聲道：「玉儂真是個多情人，長慶待他也不算好，他還哭得這樣，這也難得。」眾人盡皆太息。琴言聽了，觸起昨日的氣來，便臉有怒容。又見子玉在旁，總是為他而起，他一陣酸楚，流下淚來。眾人齊相勸慰，殊不知琴言別有悲傷，並不是為了長慶。眾人既不知道，又不便告訴人，悶在心裡，越想越氣，要忍也忍不住，把帕子掩了面，想道：「魏聘才這東西專會捏造謠言，將來必說我在他那裡陪酒，奚十一賞鐲子等語，不如我說了，也可叫人明白。況且諒無笑我的人。」又停了一會，問子玉道：「你幾時見聘才的？」子玉道：「尚是去年十月內見過一次，如今住在城外宏濟寺，也絕不到我家來。」
琴言道：「我昨日見他，他說今年見你三次了。」子玉道：「何曾見過？最可笑的是大年初一天明的時候，在門外打門。門上人才穿衣起來，他說了一聲，留下個片子，到如今還沒有見著他。你是那裡見他的？」琴言罵了一聲道：「這魏聘才始終不是個東西。」蕙芳道：「早就不是個東西，何須你說。」子玉又問琴言，琴言含淚說道：「原是我不好，我到他寓裡，要他同我去看你。」子玉聽到此，一陣心酸，眼皮上已紅了一點。眾人盡聽他說，王恂道：「你看他，他怎樣待你？」琴言道：「聘才起先還好，如今有一班壞人在那裡引誘。」子雲問道：「是誰呢？」琴言道：「一個奚十一，一個潘其觀，還有一個和尚，就是聘才的房東。」
蕙芳聽了，皺了皺眉，問道：「你怎樣呢？」琴言也恨極了，索性細細的將奚十一故意先走，後聘才攆了潘三，奚十一忽又送菜來，後奚十一、潘三、和尚先後的闖進，並將席間諸般戲侮，與砸了他的鐲子，都說了出來。子玉聽了，甚是生氣，說道：「這是聘才的壞，定是他設的計，故意叫他們糟蹋你的。」琴言道：「可不是他通同的麼？幸虧我如今不唱戲了，他們還不敢十分怎樣。不然還了得，只怕你們今日也不能見我的。」子雲道：「這三個惡煞，怎麼你一齊都遇見了，這也實在為難你。」次賢、王恂皆笑。桂保道：「那個奚十一，我倒沒碰見他，就是佩仙、玉豔吃了他的大虧。」琴言道：「我是兩次了。」王恂謂桂保道：「你若遇見了奚十一，便怎樣呢？」桂保道：「我若遇見了他，也叫他看看桶子，叫個趕車的頑頑他。」說得眾人大笑。蕙芳道：「我們如何想個法兒收拾他？」次賢笑道：「你若要收拾他，須得用個苦肉計，恐怕你不肯。」蕙芳啐了一聲，次賢復笑起來。子雲問道：「你想著什麼好笑？」次賢道：「我想奚十一就是那個東西作怪，何不拿他來割掉了，也就安分了。」王恂笑道：「這倒不容易，除非媚香肯行苦肉計方可。」蕙芳道：「你何不行一回？」王恂道：「我與他無怨無仇，割他作甚。你倒別割奚十一，且先割了潘三，也免了你多少驚恐。」蕙芳連啐了幾聲，忽斟一杯酒來，對次賢道：「總是你不好，誰叫你講這些人。」次賢也不推辭，一笑喝了。
忽見子玉與琴言四目相注，各人飲了半杯酒。子玉不覺微笑，問子玉道：「你與玉儂同過幾回席了？」子玉道：「這是第二回，已一年之久。」子雲道：「只得兩回，可憐，可憐！真是會少離多了。」琴言笑道：「也第三回了。」次賢道：「庾香有些貪心不足，以多報少。去年你們瞞著人私逛運河，不算一回麼？」子玉道：「我偶然忘了。」子雲道：「我請吾弟與玉儂作十日之歡，閣下不知嫌煩否？」子玉道：「名園勝友，若得常常歡聚，不勝之幸，何敢嫌煩。只怕弟無此香福，猶恐福薄災生。」
子雲大笑，次賢道：「十日之敘，已無此福，若華星北之福，真是福如東海了。」說得眾人大笑。琴言與子玉此時，已覺十分暢滿。
王桂保對著子雲笑道：「我有個一字化為三字的令，我說給你聽，說不出者罰一杯。」子雲道：「你且說來。」桂保道：「一個大字加一點是太字，移上去是犬字，照這麼樣也說一個。」子雲笑道：「這是犬令，誰耐煩行他。」桂保笑嘻嘻的對著蕙芳道：「你說一個。」蕙芳想了一想，道：「一個王字加一點是玉字，移上去是主字，不比你那犬字好些嗎？」桂保點點頭道：「真好。」忽又笑道：「你可不該，方才度香罵我，你又罵了度香了。」蕙芳道：「我幾時罵他？」眾人也不解，桂保道：「他是主人，你說的是主字，連上犬字，不是罵他嗎？」蕙芳也笑。子雲罵桂保道：「你這小狐精，近來很作怪，偏有這些油嘴油舌。」寶珠道：「我有個木字，加一劃是本字，移上去是未字。」子雲笑道：「我有個脫胎法，未字減一筆是木字，移下去是本字。」眾皆大笑。
琴言道：「我有個水字，加一點是□字，移上去是永字。」次賢道：「這個永字些須欠一點兒，也只好算個薄水□。然眼前的卻也沒有多少。」王恂道：「只怕就是幾個，被他們想完了。」桂保道：「我還有一個十字，加一劃是士字，移上去是乾字。」大家說道：「好。」蕙芳道：「我有個杳字，加一筆是查字，稱上去是香字。」眾人贊道：「更好！」寶珠道：「我有個丁字，加一筆是於字，移上去是亍字。」子雲道：「這字卻冷些。」子玉道：「也可用。」寶珠道：「彳亍二字也不算冷。」琴言道：「我有個卜字，加一筆是上字，移上去是下字。」次賢道：「這個好得很。」桂保道：「我有個白字，加一筆是自字，移上去是百字。」蕙芳道：「略短些。」王恂道：「我有個曰字，加一筆是田字，移上去…」說到此頓住了，桂保道：「移上去是什麼字？」王恂大笑，子玉道：「只要說透上去，便成個由字。」子雲道：「我叫他拖下來成個甲字。」次賢笑道：「你們一個要上，一個要下，要爭競起來。我叫他一頭往上，一頭往下，作個申字何如？」眾人大笑。
吃了些點心，又喝了幾杯酒。王恂問蕙芳道：「你見湘帆、前舟沒有？」蕙芳道：「原是為他們在那裡，所以耽擱了好一回，將我的戲挪上了才來的。我今天見了一個老名士，說是前舟的業師，相貌清古，有六旬之外了。」子雲道：「姓什麼？」蕙芳道：「姓得有些古怪，我想想著，好像姓瞿，穿著六品服飾，覺得議論風生，無人不敬愛他。」子雲想了一想，道：「要是姓屈，不是姓瞿。」蕙芳道：「是姓屈，我記錯了。」次賢道：「不要是屈道生麼？」子雲道：「一定是他，我聽說他到了。」子玉道：「他名字可叫本立？」子雲道：「正是，你認識他麼？」子玉道：「我卻不認識，我見他幾封書札與家嚴的，有論些史事疑難處，卻獨出卓見，真是隻眼千古。家嚴將他裱成一個冊頁，我倒常看的。」次賢道：「這道生先生今年六十歲了，與先兄同舉孝廉方正。他在江西作知縣，為何來京？」子雲道：「去年題升了通判，想是引見來的。遲日我請他來，大家敘敘。雖是個方正人，然是看花吃酒也極高興。」子玉道：「他是我的父執，恐不好相陪。」子雲道：「何妨？」次賢道：「道生雖是個古執人，筆墨卻極遊戲。其著作之外，還有些零碎筆墨，一種名《忘死集》，一種名《醒睡集》，都是遊戲之筆。」琴言道：「這兩種書名就奇。」王恂道：「內中說些什麼呢？」
次賢道：「我當年在人家案頭略翻一翻，也沒有看他。記得《醒睡集》內有些集詞為詞、集曲為曲等類，還有些集經書詩詞的對子，卻甚有趣。好像末後還有個對戲目的對子，是兩個字的多，可惜沒有細看。」子雲道：「你看道生的詩文，與侯石翁如何？」次賢道：「據我看，是道翁高於石翁。石翁的才雖大，格卻不高，且係駁雜不純。道翁才也不小，其格純正，卻是可傳之作。就是石翁也很佩服他的。」王恂道：「我們江寧的候石翁麼，他卻自負天下第一才子。據我看來，也不見得。」子雲道：「才是大的，博也博的，到他那地位，卻也不易。」又說道：「我想戲目頗可作對，譬如《觀畫》就可對《偷詩》，《偷詩》又可對《拾畫》等類，倒也有趣。我們八個人分著四對，我給你對一個，你也給我對一個。有一字不工穩者罰一杯，兩字不工者罰兩杯，半字不工欠對者罰半杯，有巧對絕對者，賀一杯。」
次賢道：「很好，就請庾香、玉儂先對起來。」子玉道：「還是你與媚香先對，次度香、瑤卿，次庸奄、蕊香，末後輪到我們罷。」子雲道：「也罷，你作個先鋒，他作個後勁，把我們放在中間，容易討好些。」次賢道：「頭難，頭難，我一時想不出好的。我前日見瘦香的《題曲》唱得甚好，就出《題曲》罷。」蕙芳道：「《題曲》就可以對《偷詩》。」寶珠道：「將現成人家方才對過的，你又揀了來，這麼就牽扯不清了。你先罰一杯。」蕙芳道：「不算就是了，又要罰什麼。」子雲道：「要罰的，不然盡對對不喝酒了。」即罰了蕙芳一杯。蕙芳想了一想，道：「《教歌》可以對麼？」次賢道：「好。」於是都說一聲「好。」蕙芳道：「既說好，就應賀一杯。」子雲道：「應該。」即勸合席賀了一杯。蕙芳即出了《埋玉》，次賢對了《拾金》。王恂道：「這工穩極了，也賀一杯。」又各賀一杯。
應子雲出對了，子雲出了《踏月》的上對，寶珠想了一想，對了《掃花》。桂保道：「好極了。」子雲道：「論對卻好，但兩個字似乎平仄都要相配，掃字也是仄聲。此中稍欠工穩。」次賢道：「你卻論得是。據我想來，戲目雖多，內中可對者卻也甚少，下一字須講平仄，上一字尚可恕，不比泛對故實，可以隨我們去搜索，此是有數的。與其平仄調而字面不工，莫若字面工而平仄稍為參差，也可算得。至於第二字，是不可錯的。」子雲一想也真沒有多少，也就依了。寶珠出了《山門》，子雲想了一回，對了《石洞》，也算工穩，賀了一杯。到了王恂、桂保了，王恂出了《彈詞》，桂保對了《制譜》。次賢道：「我想這上對，總要新鮮的才了，太平正了覺得不見新奇。」桂保謂王恂道：「我就出個新奇的與你對，是《偷雞》。」王恂道：「我對《伏虎》。」大家贊道：「卻也工穩。」要賀一杯。次賢道：「要賀也可賀，但《偷雞》二字纖小，《伏虎》二字正大，你們以為何如？」王恂道：「你這評論，真是毫髮不爽，我改了《訪鼠》罷。」次賢道：「這該賀了。」各人都賀一杯。到了子玉，出的是《看襪》，琴言對的是《借靴》。大家說道：「這個對得好，要賀兩杯。」蕙芳道：「一杯也夠了，這對子也對得快。若兩杯兩杯的賀起來，將人喝醉了，倒對不好了。」次賢道：「說得是，以後頂好的方賀一杯，好的賀半杯，平平的不賀。」於是各賀了一杯。
琴言出了《醉妃》，子玉聽得王恂的《伏虎》，就觸著了，對了《醒妓》。眾人道：「這個對得有趣，滿賀一杯。」琴言道：「巧在一醉一醒，這倒難得的。」輪到次賢，次賢道：「我出《撇斗》。」蕙芳道：「好個《撇斗》。」想了一想道：「我對《搜杯》。」次賢道：「也好個《搜杯》，這裡面工穩，賀一滿杯。」大家喝了。
停了一會，次賢催他出對，蕙芳道：「我有一個對，恐怕沒有對的，因此遲疑。」次賢道：「若真沒有對的，也只好喝一杯過去。你且說來，教我想想也好。」蕙芳道：「《女盜》有名《牝賊》，這兩字卻新奇，你對出來，我情願喝三杯。」次賢道：「真的？」眾人也暗暗想了一回，對不出來。子雲道：「我對難對。」次賢忽然笑起來，謂蕙芳道：「你且喝三杯，我對給你。」蕙芳道：「你對了，我再喝。」
次賢道：「要喝的。那《勢利》又叫《勢僧》，這不是絕對麼？」蕙芳道：「勢字怎麼對得牝字？」子玉一想，不覺撫掌大笑道：「妙極，妙極！就是勢字才可對得牝字，真是絕對。」琴言與寶珠尚未明白，子雲、王恂也想出來了，也笑起來，贊道：「真好心思，把這兩字當這兩件東西，真是異想天開了。」四旦尚未想出，蕙芳猶呆呆的想，王恂道：「你們尚未想著，你們不知男子陽為勢嗎？」蕙芳等恍然大悟，便都笑起來，都也說好。蕙芳真喝了三杯，餘皆賀一杯。
子雲出了《打店》，寶珠對了《逃關》。寶珠出了《搶嬌》，子雲對了《殺惜》。都為工穩，賀了一杯。王恂出了《草橋》，桂保對了《麻地》，忽又說道：「這地字還差半個字，我改作《絮閣》罷。」王恂道：「這《絮閣》借對得好，可賀半杯。」桂保出了《花婆》，王恂想了一會，對了《火判》。大家已經贊好要賀，王恂道：「慢著，我還要改。」又改了《草相》，眾人道：「更好，新奇之極。」各賀了。子玉出了個《封房》，琴言對了《辭閣》，也算工穩，賀了半杯。琴言出了《卸甲》，子玉也思索了一回，沒有新鮮的，偶想起《桃花扇》上有出《哄丁》，便把《哄丁》借對了，眾人極口贊妙，各賀了滿杯。次賢出了《飯店》，蕙芳對了《茶房》。蕙芳出了《拔眉》，子雲道：「這更難對了。」次賢對了《開眼》。蕙芳道：「這真工巧極了。」次賢道：「還有《刺目》覺得更好些，就只刺字是個仄聲。」子玉道：「這兩個都好，倒像是天造地設，再沒有比他好的了。」
又到子雲，子雲出了《跌雪》，寶珠道：「這個寬了，便宜了我。」既又說道：「這個跌字也不容易。」遂想了一想，對了《墮冰》。一齊贊好，道：「好個《跌雪》、《墮冰》，真是一副好對，是一意化作兩層法。」蕙芳謂寶珠道：「你想個難的給他對。」寶珠點點頭。子雲道：「你何故要他難我，無非想我罰杯酒。」蕙芳笑道：「正是。」子雲向寶珠道：「你儘管出難的來。」寶珠想了一會，出了《扶頭》。子雲笑道：「這個真不容易。」忽然把桌子一拍道：「有個好對，我對《切腳》，你們說好不好？」子玉道：「妙，妙！這個與《拔眉》、《刺目》，可稱雙絕。」次賢道：「比《拔眉》、《刺目》還好，這頭、腳兩字都是虛的，裡面是一樣，平仄又調，真是好對。倒是媚香激出來的，我們要賀雙杯。」於是大家賀了，吃了一回菜。
到了王恂，王恂出了《花鼓》。桂保想來想去，沒有對，急得臉都紅了。
王恂催他，桂保道：「不料這個倒沒有對的。只有《聞鈴》上那個《雨鈴》好對，卻不是戲目。《草橋》這橋字也不甚對，其餘我想不出來，我喝一杯罷。」桂保喝了半杯酒，出了個《跪池》，王恂對了《投井》，大家說好，也賀了半杯。到了子玉，子玉出了《折柳》。子雲笑道：「庾香蕙顧著玉儂，出這樣稀鬆的對子出來。」子玉道：「我一時想不出生的，我看倒是對對易，出對難。」琴言對了《掃松》。子玉道：「我一對連我的上對都好了。」眾人也賀半杯。琴言道：「我就出個掃字的上對，是《掃秦》。」眾人道：「這個難了。」子玉道：「這個真難。秦是姓，又是國名，很不容易。」忽然的想起了一個，也很得意，說道：「竟有這麼一個現在的，我對《擋漢》。」眾人道：「妙絕了，天然，秦、漢二字，掃、擋兩字，也對得好，我們賀雙杯。」於是，大家已輪到三轉，也好半天，已點了燈，略為歇息，又說些閒話。
次賢道：「又輪到我了，我也學庾香惠顧人，出個容易的。」出了《酒樓》，蕙芳對了《書館》，便說道：「我也學玉儂的連環出法，我就用書字出個《改書》。」次賢道：「你就難我，我偏要對個好的。」因想了一會，對了《追信》。
王恂道：「書、信兩字甚好。」次賢又道：「我又想了一個《放易》，易這好似信字。」大家齊聲贊道：「這個更好，該賀雙杯。」各賀了。子雲道：「《見鬼》。」大家沒有留心。停了一會，寶珠催其出對，子雲笑道：「你倒不對，還來催我。」寶珠道：「你還沒有出對，叫我對什麼呢？」子雲道：「我方才說的《見鬼》，就是這對。」寶珠一想，果然有這個戲目，便對了《離魂》。子雲點點頭道：「對也對得好。」賀了半杯。寶珠出了《吃糠》，子雲對了《潑粥》。
到了王恂，出了個《冥判》。次賢道：「這不容易。這個判字半虛半實，蕊香只怕要罰酒。」桂保想了一回，道：「有一個好對，就新些，卻不是老戲。《空谷香》上有出《佛醫》，我對《佛醫》。」次賢道：「果然好，非但不罰，還要賀呢。」桂保道：「我想出一個難的來了，我出《驚丑》。」王恂想了一會道：「我有個好對，這四個這比起來，還是一樣的顏色，你們要賀雙杯。我對《嚇癡》。」眾人大笑道：「真是黑沉沉的一樣顏色，我們要賀雙杯。」各人賀畢。
子玉道：「這對可以結了，天也不早了。況我一早出來，過遲了恐家慈見問。請以此對收令罷。」王恂道：「也是時候了，對了吃飯罷。」子雲道：「且看，其實天琿早呢。」子玉道：「既要敘幾天，也宜留些精神在明日，今日早散為妙。」子玉見琴言有些倦間，故要收令。子雲只得依了。子玉道：「我出個三字對罷。」遂出了《飛熊夢》。眾人道：「三個字就難些，好對的也少得很。」琴言想了一會，對了《伏虎韜》。
眾人大為稱贊，賀了一杯。琴言笑道：「就這一對完結了，我出四個字對罷。」眾人道：「四個字的更難。」琴言道：「罰酒也只得一杯了。若是大家都要對四字的，自然就難了，這一兩個只怕還有。」便出了個《賣子投淵》。子玉也想了一會，對了個《思親罷宴》，眾人拍案稱妙。子雲道：「情見乎詞，庾香方才說回去過遲，恐怕伯母見問，真是思親罷宴了。這個本地風光，我們各賀三杯吃飯。」這一回每人對了四轉，共有三十二副對子，是六十四個戲目。也費了好些心，喝了幾十杯酒，各有醉意，便也不能再飯。三杯之後，吃過了飯，略坐了一坐，子玉、王恂告辭，子雲又約了明日。到明日又添了文澤、春航，名旦中也添了幾個，又在怡園敘了一日。陸素蘭單請子玉、琴言二人，又敘了一日，這一日清談小敘，更為有趣。一連敘了三日，子玉也心滿意足，人也乏了。徐子雲要請屈道生，卻好史南湘已到京，作一個詩酒大會。子玉不能推辭，只得赴約。且聽下回分解。
Let me translate the text paragraph by paragraph into English without missing any detail:
When Qinyan returned to his lodging, he was so overwhelmed with anger that he collapsed and cried for half a day. Then, still clothed, he lay down under his blanket. He regretted deeply—over and over again—his decision to go see Pintai. Knowing that Pintai was in collusion with others to deceive him, and having endured such a humiliating performance, Qinyan was filled with despair and a desire to end his life. He spent a miserable and sorrowful half-night consumed by regret. He slept until the morning and hadn’t yet awakened when his servant came in and shook him awake, saying, “Master Xu from Yiyuan is here to see you. He asks you to hurry; Master Mei has already arrived.” Qinyan got up, and the servant folded the blanket. Qinyan washed his face and drank a bowl of tea. Due to the events of the previous day—having been angry all day and crying all night, in addition to being exhausted from the past two days—he felt dizzy, his vision was blurry, and his mouth was dry. He felt very unwell. Forcing himself to pull through, he changed his clothes, looked in the mirror, and noticed that his face had become more gaunt. He sat for a while longer, his mind weary. By the time it was early noon, he forced himself to get into the carriage and headed to Yiyuan.
That day was the first day of the second lunar month, and in the garden, the plum blossoms had not yet fully bloomed, but the camellias and magnolias were in full bloom.
Liu Wenze, Yan Zhongqing, and Tian Chunhang did not come today. Chunhang had a New Year’s reunion with his classmates, and since Wenze and Wang Xun were fellow disciples of the same teacher, everyone had invited them. Chunhang had also invited Zhongqing, but Zhongqing had recently caught a cold, so he declined both invitations. Wang Xun also declined the other event and, early in the morning, had arranged to go to Yiyuan with Ziyu. Cixian and Ziyun welcomed them and brought them to sit in the Meiyan Pavilion. This pavilion was designed in the shape of plum blossoms, with five rooms in one place and a total of five such places. Long corridors and winding railings connected them, surrounded by green calyxes and red fragrance. From the outside, the structure was not clearly visible, and it appeared as though one was looking at a field of fragrant snow. Every time Ziyu visited the garden, he always had to admire a few places. Ziyun said, “Today’s gathering is rather incomplete, as many people have been occupied with various drinking games this month. I estimate that Yuning will return in more than twenty days, and the plum blossoms can still bloom for ten days. I want to hold a ten-day gathering, with no restrictions on the number of people—whoever is free can come. Even if I am not in the garden, Jingyi will always be at home and can act as the host. What do you think, Wangan and Yuxiang?” Wang Xun replied, “That sounds good. If I’m free, I will definitely come.” Ziyu added, “In my opinion, it’s not necessary to have the host worry about everything every day. Anyone who feels like it can move the wine to a different place and enjoy themselves, or we can find other ways to entertain ourselves.” Cixian said, “There are plenty of ways to pass the time. Our group, being indifferent to most things, is already much more tranquil than others. For instance, some people gather to play cards, roll dice, or even gamble, while others beat gongs and drums, watch magic tricks, listen to storytelling by the blind, or watch opera performances with martial arts and acrobatics, perhaps even putting on a costume and performing on stage themselves, feeling triumphant afterward—that’s also a form of entertainment. Then there are the brothels and narrow alleys, where one can flirt and joke around with painted faces and oiled hair, causing a ruckus. But not only can I not do this, I assume none of you would enjoy it either.” Ziyun and the others agreed, saying, “Exactly, as you’ve pointed out, we certainly don’t consider ourselves lovers of such lively affairs, but there’s nothing more delightful than drinking wine and admiring flowers.” Wang Xun turned to Ziyun and said, “I have a question I’d like you to consider.” Ziyun replied, “Go ahead and ask.” Wang Xun asked, “Which is more beautiful: a flower among people or a flower among flowers?” Ziyun smiled and said, “Each has its own beauty.” Wang Xun continued, “If you could only choose one, would you choose the person or the flower?” Ziyun laughed and said, “What a silly question! Naturally, people are more valuable, and flowers are less important—what’s there to ask?” Cixian remarked, “He must have some meaning behind his words; he’s not just speaking idly.”
Ziyun smiled faintly. Wang Xun laughed and said, “I see your garden is full of flowers, and we’ve been talking for half a day, yet we haven’t seen a single ‘flower among people.’ Doesn’t that mean you love flowers but not people?” Ziyun laughed and said, “You’re just teasing. We made such a good arrangement the other day, so why haven’t they arrived yet?” After a while, Baozhu and Guibao arrived and greeted everyone. Ziyun asked, “Why is it that only the two of you have arrived so far?” Baozhu replied, “It seems that some people won’t be able to make it today. Has Yuning not arrived yet?” Guibao added, “Today, Lianjin is hosting a five-package assembly, and Lianzhu is hosting a four-package assembly. They’re probably all performing Kunqu opera, and the roles can’t be divided evenly. We’ve all performed one assembly already.” Wang Xun asked, “Why are there so many events today?” Guibao replied, “In about half a month, things will quiet down.” Baozhu remarked, “I saw Xiangfan and Qianzhou over there; why hasn’t Jiantan come?” Wang Xun explained, “He’s not feeling well.” Guibao said to Ziyu, “This is the first time we’ve met this year.” Ziyu replied, “Indeed, though I’ve been out several times, I haven’t seen you.” Baozhu added, “Today, Xiangwan and Jingfang are suffering. They have performances everywhere, so they definitely won’t be able to come.” Ziyun sighed, “I expected six or seven people to come, but who knew none of them could make it.” Just before noon, Guibao glanced outside and said, “Yuning has arrived!” Everyone looked up as he entered. Ziyu noticed that Yuning had grown taller since last year and was dressed in simple, elegant clothes. As he walked into the plum blossom grove, the person and the flowers seemed to blend into one, dazzling and bright. Everyone greeted him with smiles. Qinyan approached and first greeted Cixian, Ziyun, and Wang Xun, then met with Ziyu and exchanged a few words of greeting. Ziyun joked, “You’ve grown taller and more learned. Look at him, already chatting with Yuxiang as if they’ve known each other for a long time. Last year, he wouldn’t have been able to do this.” Qinyan, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “We haven’t seen each other for half a year.” Ziyun replied, “And how often do we see each other?” Qinyan laughed, “Didn’t I come to visit you and Jingyi during the New Year? We saw each other then.” Cixian laughed, “Indeed, after one visit, there’s no need to say anything more.” His words made Qinyan laugh. Wang Xun said, “I’m the one who sees Yuning the least.” Qinyan nodded slightly, then sat down beside Baozhu and Guibao. Baozhu urged him to take the seat of honor, and he did.
Ziyun instructed the servants to set up the table but did not serve wine right away. He then said to Wang Xun, “In terms of age, my younger brother is older than Yuxiang, but today’s gathering is specifically arranged for Yuning, so Yuning should take the seat of honor, and Yuxiang should accompany him.” Qinyan protested, “How can I possibly accept this? I won’t sit there.” Ziyu added, “It should be Yun’an.” Ziyun replied, “In the past, it was done that way, but today we should do it differently.” He then insisted that Qinyan take the seat of honor, with Ziyu seated beside him. Guibao took the second seat, with Wang Xun next to him. Ziyun decreed that no further modesty would be allowed—anyone who declined the seat would be penalized with ten cups of wine. He also called for Baozhu to sit at the head of the table. When Baozhu hesitated, Huifang arrived. Ziyun said, “Good, good, you can sit here, and Cixian will sit next to you.” Huifang refused to sit above Cixian, but Cixian insisted, “Today’s seating arrangement is such that you are all at the top, and we are below. Don’t you see the first two seats have already been taken?” Huifang had no choice but to comply, and Baozhu also had to sit above Ziyun. Once everyone was seated, Wang Xun joked, “If this seating arrangement were followed at a restaurant outside, the restaurant would end up giving money to the customers.” Everyone smiled faintly, exchanged a few cups of wine, and casually sampled some dishes.
Baozhu noticed that Qinyan’s eyes seemed swollen, as if he had been crying, likely due to his teacher. Ziyun also noticed this and sighed, saying, “Yuning is truly a person of deep emotions. Changqing didn’t treat him particularly well, yet he still cried like this—it’s rare.” Everyone sighed along with him. Qinyan, hearing this, was reminded of the previous day’s anger, and his face showed signs of displeasure. Seeing Ziyu sitting beside him, the one who was the cause of all this, Qinyan felt a pang of bitterness and started to tear up. Everyone tried to comfort him, but they were unaware that Qinyan’s sorrow stemmed from something other than Changqing. Since no one knew the truth, and Qinyan couldn’t explain it to them, he grew more and more upset, until he couldn’t hold back any longer. Covering his face with a handkerchief, he thought to himself, “Wei Pintai is a despicable person who spreads false rumors. In the future, he’ll probably claim that I drank with him, mention the bracelet given by Xi Eleven, and other such nonsense. I might as well tell the truth, so people understand. After all, no one would laugh at me.” After pausing for a moment, he asked Ziyu, “When was the last time you saw Pintai?” Ziyu replied, “It was back in October of last year. He’s now staying at Hongji Temple outside the city and hasn’t been to my house at all.”
Qinyan said, “I saw him yesterday, and he claimed to have seen you three times this year.” Ziyu said, “When did that happen? The most ridiculous thing is that on the morning of New Year’s Day, just as it was getting light, he came knocking at the door. The servant had just gotten dressed when he left a note and hasn’t been seen since. Where did you see him?” Qinyan cursed, “That Wei Pintai is truly a worthless person.” Huifang added, “He’s always been worthless; you didn’t need to say that.” Ziyu then asked Qinyan, who, with tears in his eyes, said, “It’s my fault—I went to his place to ask him to accompany me to see you.” Upon hearing this, Ziyu felt a pang of sadness, and his eyes reddened slightly. Everyone listened intently, and Wang Xun asked, “How did he treat you?” Qinyan replied, “Pintai was decent at first, but now he’s been led astray by a group of bad people.” Ziyun asked, “Who are they?” Qinyan answered, “One is Xi Eleven, another is Pan Qiguan, and the last one is a monk, who is also Pintai’s landlord.”
Huifang, frowning, asked, “What happened?” Filled with anger, Qinyan recounted in detail how Xi Eleven had deliberately left early, how Pintai had chased away Pan San, how Xi Eleven suddenly returned with food, and how Xi Eleven, Pan San, and the monk had all barged in one after another. He also described the various humiliations during the meal and how they broke his bracelet. Ziyu, hearing this, was furious and said, “This is Pintai’s doing—he must have orchestrated it to deliberately humiliate you.” Qinyan replied, “Of course, he was in on it. Luckily, I’m no longer performing, so they didn’t dare do anything too outrageous. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here for you to see today.” Ziyun remarked, “Encountering those three scoundrels all at once—how unfortunate for you.” Cixian and Wang Xun both laughed. Guibao said, “I’ve never met Xi Eleven, but Peixian and Yuyan have suffered greatly at his hands.” Qinyan said, “I’ve had two encounters with him.” Wang Xun asked Guibao, “What would you do if you met Xi Eleven?” Guibao replied, “If I met him, I’d make him see what it’s like to be in a tough spot—maybe have a carriage driver mess with him.” His comment made everyone burst into laughter. Huifang said, “How about we think of a way to deal with him?” Cixian laughed and said, “If you want to deal with him, you’d have to use the strategy of self-sacrifice, but I doubt you’d agree to that.” Huifang spat in disgust, and Cixian laughed again. Ziyun asked, “What are you laughing about?” Cixian replied, “I was thinking that Xi Eleven is just a troublemaker—why not capture him and cut off his source of trouble? That would settle things.” Wang Xun laughed and said, “That wouldn’t be easy, unless Meixiang is willing to use the self-sacrifice strategy.” Huifang said, “Why don’t you do it?” Wang Xun replied, “I have no grievances with him—why would I cut him? You should cut Pan San first and save yourself a lot of fear and worry.” Huifang spat a few more times, then suddenly poured a cup of wine and handed it to Cixian, saying, “This is all your fault—who told you to bring up these people?” Cixian didn’t refuse and drank it with a smile.
Suddenly, Ziyu and Qinyan exchanged glances and each drank half a cup of wine. Ziyu smiled and asked, “How many times have you and Yuning sat together like this?” Ziyu replied, “This is the second time—it’s been a whole year.” Ziyun remarked, “Only twice? How pitiful, how pitiful! Truly, you meet less and part more.” Qinyan smiled and said, “Actually, it’s the third time.” Cixian added, “Yuxiang is a bit greedy, trying to count more meetings than there actually were. Didn’t you secretly visit the Grand Canal last year? Doesn’t that count as one?” Ziyu replied, “I must have forgotten.” Ziyun said, “I invite you both to spend ten days of joy together—would you find that tiresome?” Ziyu replied, “In such a beautiful garden with such delightful friends, it would be a great blessing to gather often—how could I find it tiresome? I’m just afraid I don’t have such good fortune, and that misfortune may arise from too much happiness.”
Ziyun laughed heartily, and Cixian said, “If we can’t manage ten days of gatherings, then the fortune of a ‘brilliant star in the North’ would indeed be as vast as the East Sea.” This made everyone burst into laughter. At this moment, Qinyan and Ziyu were feeling quite content.
Wang Guibao smiled at Ziyun and said, “I have a game where one word becomes three words. I’ll say it to you, and if you can’t come up with an answer, you’ll have to drink a cup.” Ziyun replied, “Go ahead and tell us.” Guibao said, “If you add a dot to the character ‘大’ (dà, meaning ‘big’), it becomes ‘太’ (tài, meaning ‘very’). If you move the dot up, it becomes ‘犬’ (quǎn, meaning ‘dog’). Now you say one.” Ziyun laughed and said, “This is a game about dogs; who has the patience for that?” Guibao, still smiling, turned to Huifang and said, “You say one.” Huifang thought for a moment and said, “If you add a dot to the character ‘王’ (wáng, meaning ‘king’), it becomes ‘玉’ (yù, meaning ‘jade’). If you move it up, it becomes ‘主’ (zhǔ, meaning ‘lord’). Isn’t that better than your ‘dog’ character?” Guibao nodded and said, “Very good.” Then he laughed and said, “You shouldn’t have done that; just now Duxiang scolded me, and now you’ve scolded Duxiang.” Huifang asked, “When did I scold him?” The others were also puzzled, so Guibao explained, “He is the ‘lord’ (主), and you mentioned the ‘lord’ character along with the ‘dog’ character. Isn’t that like cursing him?” Huifang laughed as well. Ziyun scolded Guibao, “You little fox spirit, you’ve been getting more mischievous lately, always coming up with these tricky and slippery words.” Baozhu said, “I have the character ‘木’ (mù, meaning ‘wood’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘本’ (běn, meaning ‘root’). If you move the stroke up, it becomes ‘未’ (wèi, meaning ‘not yet’).” Ziyun laughed and said, “I have a reversal technique: if you remove a stroke from ‘未’ (wèi), it becomes ‘木’ (mù), and if you move it down, it becomes ‘本’ (běn).” Everyone laughed heartily.
Qinyan said, “I have the character ‘水’ (shuǐ, meaning ‘water’). If you add a dot, it becomes ‘永’ (yǒng, meaning ‘eternal’), and if you move the dot up, it becomes ‘永’ (yǒng).” Cixian said, “This ‘永’ character seems to be missing a dot. It’s better to call it ‘thin water 永.’ But there aren’t many left to choose from.” Wang Xun said, “I’m afraid we’ve exhausted most of the possibilities.” Guibao said, “I still have one: take the character ‘十’ (shí, meaning ‘ten’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘士’ (shì, meaning ‘scholar’), and if you move it up, it becomes ‘干’ (gān, meaning ‘dry’).” Everyone said, “Good.” Huifang said, “I have the character ‘杳’ (yǎo, meaning ‘remote’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘查’ (chá, meaning ‘investigate’), and if you move it up, it becomes ‘香’ (xiāng, meaning ‘fragrant’).” Everyone praised, “Even better!” Baozhu said, “I have the character ‘丁’ (dīng, meaning ‘nail’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘于’ (yú, meaning ‘at’), and if you move it up, it becomes ‘亍’ (chù, a rare character meaning ‘to walk’).” Ziyun said, “That character is a bit obscure.” Ziyu said, “But it can be used.” Baozhu said, “‘彳亍’ (chìchù, meaning ‘to walk slowly’) isn’t that obscure.” Qinyan said, “I have the character ‘卜’ (bǔ, meaning ‘to divine’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘上’ (shàng, meaning ‘up’), and if you move it up, it becomes ‘下’ (xià, meaning ‘down’).” Cixian said, “That’s very good.” Guibao said, “I have the character ‘白’ (bái, meaning ‘white’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘自’ (zì, meaning ‘self’), and if you move it up, it becomes ‘百’ (bǎi, meaning ‘hundred’).” Huifang said, “That’s a bit short.” Wang Xun said, “I have the character ‘曰’ (yuē, meaning ‘say’). If you add a stroke, it becomes ‘田’ (tián, meaning ‘field’), and if you move it up…” He paused, and Guibao asked, “What does it become when you move it up?” Wang Xun laughed, and Ziyu said, “If you move it up properly, it becomes ‘由’ (yóu, meaning ‘from’).” Ziyun said, “I’d pull it down to make it ‘甲’ (jiǎ, meaning ‘armor’).” Cixian laughed and said, “One wants to move it up, the other wants to pull it down—are you trying to compete? I suggest pulling one part up and one part down, making it ‘申’ (shēn, meaning ‘to extend’).” Everyone burst into laughter.
After eating some snacks and drinking a few more cups of wine, Wang Xun asked Huifang, “Have you seen Xiangfan and Qianzhou?” Huifang replied, “I was waiting for them, which caused a long delay. I had to move my performance up before I could come. Today, I met an elderly scholar who claims to be Qianzhou’s mentor. He has a dignified and ancient appearance and must be over sixty.” Ziyun asked, “What’s his surname?” Huifang replied, “His surname is somewhat unusual. Let me think… It seems to be Qu, and he was wearing a sixth-rank official’s robe. His speech was lively, and everyone respected him.” Ziyun thought for a moment and said, “If it’s not Qu, could it be Xu?” Huifang replied, “It’s Xu. I remembered incorrectly.” Cixian asked, “Could it be Xu Daosheng?” Ziyun said, “It must be him. I heard he’s arrived.” Ziyu asked, “Is his name Benli?” Ziyun said, “Exactly. Do you know him?” Ziyu replied, “I don’t know him personally, but I’ve seen a few of his letters to my father, discussing some historical issues with unique insights. Truly, he has a keen eye for the ages. My father even mounted them into an album, which I often look at.” Cixian said, “This Mr. Daosheng is sixty this year and was a fellow candidate with my late brother during the filial and upright examination. He served as a magistrate in Jiangxi—why has he come to the capital?” Ziyun replied, “Last year, he was promoted to circuit judge, so I believe he’s here for an audience. I’ll invite him to join us one of these days, and we can all chat. Although he’s a strict and upright person, he also enjoys flower viewing and drinking.” Ziyu said, “He’s my father’s old friend; it might not be appropriate for me to accompany him.” Ziyun said, “Why not?” Cixian added, “Although Daosheng is an old-fashioned person, his writings are quite playful. Besides his main works, he has some lighter pieces—one called The Collection of Forgotten Death and another called The Collection of Awakening and Sleep. They are all written in a playful manner.” Qinyan said, “Those titles are quite unusual.” Wang Xun asked, “What do they talk about?”
Cixian said, “Back in the day, I casually flipped through The Collection of Awakening and Sleep at someone’s desk but didn’t really read it. I remember it included things like compiled verses matching other verses, compiled lyrics matching other lyrics, and pairs of lines from classics and poetry. It was quite interesting. I think there was even a section at the end with play titles matched in pairs, mostly two-character titles, but unfortunately, I didn’t look at it closely.” Ziyun asked, “How do you compare Daosheng’s poetry and prose with that of Hou Shiweng?” Cixian replied, “In my opinion, Daosheng surpasses Shiweng. Although Shiweng is talented, his style isn’t as refined, and it tends to be mixed and impure. Daosheng, on the other hand, has no less talent, but his style is pure and correct, making his works worthy of transmission. Even Shiweng greatly admired him.” Wang Xun commented, “Our Jiangning’s Hou Shiweng considers himself the greatest talent in the world. But in my view, he’s not all that remarkable.” Ziyun said, “He is indeed talented and knowledgeable, but once he reached that level, it wasn’t easy to maintain it.” He then added, “I think play titles can be paired well. For example, Viewing Paintings can be paired with Stealing Poems, and Stealing Poems can be paired with Collecting Paintings—it’s quite interesting. We could form four pairs among the eight of us. I’ll give you one to pair, and you give me one. If a single character in the pair is not well-matched, the person is penalized with one cup. If two characters are not well-matched, it’s two cups. If half a character is slightly off, it’s half a cup. If the pair is particularly clever or perfect, a toast is given.”
Cixian said, “That’s a great idea! Let Yuxiang and Yuning start.” Ziyu said, “It’s better if you and Meixiang start, followed by Duxiang and Yaoqing, then Yun’an and Ruixiang, and we’ll go last.” Ziyun agreed, “Alright, you be the vanguard, and he’ll be the rear guard, placing us in the middle where it’s easier to do well.” Cixian said, “The first move is the hardest. I can’t think of a good one right now. The other day, I saw that Shouxiang’s Titled Song was performed very well, so I’ll start with Titled Song.” Huifang responded, “Titled Song can be paired with Stealing Poems.” Baozhu objected, “But you’re using a title that someone just paired—this could get confusing. You should be penalized with a cup.” Huifang retorted, “If it doesn’t count, then what’s the point of penalizing?” Ziyun insisted, “It should count. Otherwise, we’d just be matching titles without drinking.” Huifang was then penalized with a cup. After thinking for a moment, Huifang said, “Teaching Songs could be a match.” Cixian agreed, “Good.” Everyone said, “Good!” Huifang added, “Since everyone agrees, we should toast with a cup.” Ziyun concurred, and the entire group toasted with a cup. Huifang then suggested Burying Jade, and Cixian matched it with Collecting Gold. Wang Xun remarked, “That’s perfectly matched. Let’s toast with a cup.” And they all toasted another cup.
It was Ziyun’s turn to make a match, so he proposed Stepping on the Moon as the first title. Baozhu thought for a moment and paired it with Sweeping Flowers. Guibao praised, “Excellent!” Ziyun remarked, “It’s a good match, but the tones of the two characters should ideally match. ‘Sweeping’ is also a rising tone, which makes it slightly less refined.” Cixian commented, “You’re right. I think although there are many play titles, not many are well-matched. The second character must consider tone, while the first character can be more flexible. Unlike matching general knowledge, where we can search freely, here we’re limited. It’s better to have a well-matched meaning with slightly mismatched tones than perfect tones with an ill-fitting meaning. But the second character should be correct.” Ziyun, realizing there weren’t many good matches, agreed. Baozhu then suggested Mountain Gate, and after some thought, Ziyun matched it with Stone Cave, which was also considered well-matched, and they toasted with a cup. Next, it was Wang Xun and Guibao’s turn. Wang Xun suggested Playing the Lute, and Guibao matched it with Composing a Score. Cixian remarked, “I think the first match should be something fresh. If it’s too regular, it lacks novelty.” Guibao then proposed to Wang Xun, “I’ll give you something novel—how about Stealing Chickens?” Wang Xun replied, “I’ll match it with Subduing the Tiger.” Everyone agreed, “That’s also well-matched.” They were about to toast with a cup when Cixian said, “It’s a good match, but the words Stealing Chickens are small and delicate, while Subduing the Tiger is grand. What do you all think?” Wang Xun said, “Your critique is very precise. I’ll change it to Visiting the Rats.” Cixian said, “That deserves a toast.” So everyone toasted with a cup. When it was Ziyu’s turn, he suggested Viewing Socks, and Qinyan matched it with Borrowing Boots. Everyone said, “That’s a great match—let’s toast with two cups.” Huifang intervened, “One cup is enough. These matches are coming too quickly. If we toast with two cups every time, we’ll get too drunk and won’t be able to match properly.” Cixian agreed, “You’re right. From now on, the best matches will be toasted with one cup, good matches with half a cup, and average matches won’t be toasted at all.” So they all toasted with a cup.
Qinyan then proposed Drunken Concubine, and Ziyu, remembering Wang Xun’s match Subduing the Tiger, paired it with Sober Courtesan. Everyone found it amusing and toasted with a cup. Qinyan commented, “It’s clever to match ‘drunken’ with ‘sober’—that’s rare.” Then it was Cixian’s turn, and he suggested Skipping the Fight. Huifang responded, “That’s a good one.” After thinking for a moment, she matched it with Searching the Cup. Cixian said, “That’s also a good match—let’s toast with a full cup.” Everyone drank.
After a pause, Cixian urged Huifang to come up with a pair. Huifang said, “I have a match in mind, but I’m hesitant because it might not have a proper counterpart.” Cixian replied, “If it truly has no match, you’ll just have to drink a cup. But go ahead and tell me; maybe I can think of something.” Huifang said, “The play title Female Thief has the alternate name Pìn Thief (牝賊, ‘Female Thief’ or ‘Female Bandit’). These two characters are quite unique. If you can match it, I’m willing to drink three cups.” Cixian asked, “Are you serious?” Everyone else also quietly thought about it but couldn’t come up with a match. Ziyun said, “It’s difficult to match.” Suddenly, Cixian laughed and said to Huifang, “You should drink the three cups, and I’ll match it for you.” Huifang replied, “If you can match it, I’ll drink.”
Cixian said, “You’ll have to drink. The play Shìli (勢利, meaning ‘Status and Profit’) also goes by the name Shì Monk (勢僧). Isn’t that a perfect match?” Huifang asked, “How does the character ‘Shì’ (勢) match ‘Pìn’ (牝)?” Ziyu thought for a moment and suddenly clapped his hands, laughing, “Brilliant, brilliant! It’s precisely the character ‘Shì’ that matches ‘Pìn’—it’s truly a perfect match.” Qinyan and Baozhu still didn’t understand, but Ziyun and Wang Xun figured it out and started laughing, praising, “That’s an ingenious idea, treating these two characters as symbolic representations—it’s really an unexpected stroke of genius.” The four female performers hadn’t grasped it yet, but Huifang was still puzzled. Wang Xun explained, “You haven’t figured it out? Don’t you know that in men, the yang is represented by ‘Shì’ (勢, meaning ‘power or momentum’)?” Huifang and the others suddenly realized and started laughing, all agreeing it was excellent. Huifang indeed drank the three cups, and everyone else toasted with a cup.
Ziyun then presented Beating at the Inn, and Baozhu matched it with Escaping the Pass. Baozhu followed with Snatching the Beauty, which Ziyun paired with Killing the Loved One. Both were well-matched, so they toasted with a cup. Wang Xun suggested Grass Bridge, and Guibao matched it with Hemp Ground, but then said, “The character ‘Ground’ (地) is slightly off, so I’ll change it to Fluff Pavilion.” Wang Xun said, “The match with Fluff Pavilion is excellent, deserving of half a cup.” Guibao proposed Flower Madam, and after some thought, Wang Xun matched it with Fire Judge. Everyone had already praised it and was about to toast when Wang Xun said, “Wait, I want to change it.” He then changed it to Grass Prime Minister, and everyone agreed, “Even better, very novel!” So they all toasted. Ziyu suggested Sealing the Room, and Qinyan matched it with Leaving the Pavilion, which was also considered well-matched, so they toasted with half a cup. Qinyan then suggested Removing Armor, and Ziyu, after some thought, couldn’t come up with anything fresh. Suddenly, he remembered the play The Peach Blossom Fan, where the title Deceiving the Soldier appeared, so he borrowed it as a match. Everyone praised it as ingenious, and they all toasted with a full cup. Cixian proposed Restaurant, and Huifang matched it with Tea House. Huifang then suggested Plucking Eyebrows, to which Ziyun remarked, “That’s even harder to match.” Cixian matched it with Opening Eyes. Huifang said, “That’s truly a clever match.” Cixian added, “There’s also Stabbing Eyes, which might be even better, though the character ‘Stab’ (刺) has a rising tone.” Ziyu said, “Both are excellent; it’s as if they were made for each other—there’s nothing better.”
When it was Ziyun’s turn, he suggested Falling in Snow, and Baozhu said, “This one is broad, so it benefits me.” But then she added, “The character ‘Fall’ (跌) isn’t easy.” After some thought, she matched it with Falling in Ice. Everyone praised the match, saying, “What a great pair—Falling in Snow and Falling in Ice. It’s a single idea expressed in two ways.” Huifang then said to Baozhu, “Think of a difficult one for him to match.” Baozhu nodded. Ziyun asked, “Why do you want her to make it hard for me? Is it just to see me drink?” Huifang laughed and said, “Exactly.” Ziyun turned to Baozhu and said, “Go ahead, bring on the difficult one.” Baozhu thought for a while and suggested Supporting the Head. Ziyun laughed, “That’s indeed not easy.” Suddenly, he slapped the table and said, “I have a perfect match—Cutting the Foot. What do you all think?” Ziyu exclaimed, “Brilliant, brilliant! This match with Plucking Eyebrows and Stabbing Eyes can be called a double wonder.” Cixian said, “Even better than Plucking Eyebrows and Stabbing Eyes. The words ‘Head’ and ‘Foot’ are both abstract, but inside they match, and the tones are balanced—it’s truly a great match. But it was Meixiang who provoked it, so we should toast with double cups.” So they all toasted and then enjoyed some food.
When it was Wang Xun’s turn, he proposed Flower Drum. Guibao thought hard but couldn’t come up with a match, getting so anxious that his face turned red.
Wang Xun urged Guibao to come up with a match, and Guibao said, “I didn’t expect this one to be so difficult to match. The only good match I can think of is Rain Bell from Hearing the Bells, but that’s not a play title. Also, the ‘bridge’ character in Grass Bridge doesn’t match well either, and I can’t think of anything else, so I’ll drink a cup.” Guibao drank half a cup of wine and then suggested Kneeling by the Pond, which Wang Xun matched with Throwing into the Well. Everyone praised the match, and they toasted with half a cup.
Next, it was Ziyu’s turn, and he proposed Breaking the Willow. Ziyun laughed and said, “Yuxiang is so focused on Yuning that he came up with such an ordinary match.” Ziyu replied, “I couldn’t think of anything better at the moment. I find it’s easier to match than to come up with a prompt.” Qinyan then matched it with Sweeping the Pines. Ziyu said, “My match turned out better than my prompt.” Everyone toasted with half a cup. Qinyan then proposed Sweeping Qin, and everyone commented, “That’s a tough one.” Ziyu said, “This is indeed difficult. ‘Qin’ is both a surname and the name of a country—it’s not easy at all.” Suddenly, he thought of something and, feeling pleased, said, “There is a modern match—I’ll pair it with Blocking Han.” Everyone exclaimed, “Brilliant! The pairing of Qin and Han, and Sweeping and Blocking, is excellent. Let’s toast with double cups.” So, after everyone had gone through three rounds, they had already spent a good part of the day. As the lamps were lit, they took a short break and chatted about various topics.
Cixian said, “It’s my turn again. I’ll follow Yuxiang’s lead and propose something easy.” He suggested Wine House, which Huifang matched with Book Hall. Then Huifang said, “I’ll follow Yuning’s example and propose a chain match. Using the ‘book’ character, I’ll suggest Revising the Book.” Cixian replied, “You’re trying to challenge me, but I’m determined to come up with a good match.” After thinking for a moment, he matched it with Chasing the Letter.
Wang Xun commented, “The characters ‘book’ and ‘letter’ are a great match.” Cixian added, “I’ve thought of another match—Releasing the Easy. The character ‘easy’ is similar to ‘letter’.” Everyone praised, “That’s even better; we should toast with double cups.” So they all toasted. Ziyun then proposed Seeing Ghosts. No one paid much attention to it at first. After a while, Baozhu urged him to come up with a match, and Ziyun laughed, “You haven’t even matched mine, and you’re already urging me?” Baozhu replied, “You haven’t given me a match to work with, so how can I match it?” Ziyun said, “What I mentioned earlier, Seeing Ghosts, is the match.” Baozhu thought for a moment and realized it was indeed a play title, so she matched it with Departing Soul. Ziyun nodded and said, “That’s a good match.” They toasted with half a cup. Baozhu then proposed Eating Chaff, and Ziyun matched it with Spilling Porridge.
When it was Wang Xun’s turn, he suggested Underworld Judgment. Cixian remarked, “This isn’t easy. The character ‘judgment’ is half abstract and half concrete. Ruixiang might have to drink as a penalty.” Guibao thought for a while and said, “I’ve thought of a good match—it’s new, but it’s not an old play. In Fragrance of the Empty Valley, there’s a match Buddha Physician. I’ll pair it with Buddha Physician.” Cixian responded, “Indeed, it’s a good match. Not only should it not be penalized, but it deserves a toast.” Guibao said, “I’ve thought of a difficult one. I’ll propose Scaring the Clown.” Wang Xun thought for a while and said, “I have a good match. Comparing these four characters, they share the same dark tone. You should toast with double cups. I’ll pair it with Frightening the Fool.” Everyone laughed and said, “It really is the same dark tone—we should toast with double cups.” After everyone toasted, they continued.
Ziyu said, “This match can be the conclusion—it’s getting late. Besides, I left early this morning, and if I stay too long, my mother might ask about it. Let’s finish with this match.” Wang Xun agreed, “It is indeed time; let’s finish and eat.” Ziyun added, “But it’s not too late yet.” Ziyu said, “Since we’re planning to gather for several days, it’s wise to save some energy for tomorrow. We should end early today.” Ziyu noticed that Qinyan was a bit tired and wanted to wrap things up, so Ziyun had no choice but to agree. Ziyu then said, “I’ll propose a three-character match.” He suggested Flying Bear Dream. Everyone said, “Three-character matches are harder, and there are fewer good matches.” After thinking for a while, Qinyan matched it with Conquering Tiger Tactic.
Everyone greatly praised the match and toasted with a cup. Qinyan smiled and said, “Let’s finish with this match, and I’ll propose a four-character match.” Everyone said, “Four-character matches are even harder.” Qinyan replied, “If it’s too difficult, the penalty is just one cup. If everyone had to match four characters, it would naturally be difficult, but for one or two, there might still be a chance.” He then proposed Selling a Child and Throwing into the Abyss. Ziyu thought for a moment and matched it with Missing Parents and Abandoning the Feast. Everyone was so impressed that they banged the table in admiration. Ziyun said, “The sentiment is evident in the words. Yuxiang just mentioned going home early to avoid worrying his mother, which truly reflects the idea of missing parents and abandoning the feast. Given this local flavor, let’s each toast with three cups before eating.” This time, each person completed four rounds, making a total of thirty-two pairs, or sixty-four play titles. They had put in quite a bit of effort and drank dozens of cups of wine, leaving everyone slightly intoxicated and unable to eat more. After three more cups and finishing their meal, they sat for a while longer before Ziyu and Wang Xun took their leave. Ziyun invited everyone again for the next day. The following day, Wenze and Chunhang joined them, along with a few more famous performers, and they spent another day at Yiyuan. Lu Sulan also invited Ziyu and Qinyan for a private gathering, which was even more enjoyable. After three consecutive days of gatherings, Ziyu was quite satisfied but also tired. Xu Ziyun planned to invite Xu Daosheng, but just then Shi Nanxiang arrived in the capital, so they arranged a grand poetry and wine gathering. Ziyu couldn’t decline and had to attend. We’ll see what happens next in the following installment.