第四百一十篇第四百一十篇Story Four Hundred and Ten

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恆娘

恒娘

Story Four Hundred and Ten · Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio

Hengniang

A line drawing in the manner of a late-Qing lithographed edition: in the inner room of a townhouse by day, two women in long pleated skirts and wide-sleeved gowns face each other, one tilting her head with a sidelong smile and a finger raised to her cheek, the other holding up a small round hand mirror and copying the look, with a dressing table, a bamboo screen, a lattice door, a vase of peonies and a tea table around them.

洪大業,都中人。妻朱氏,姿致頗佳,兩相愛悅。後洪納婢寶帶為妾,貌遠遜朱,而洪嬖之。朱不平,輒以此反目。洪雖不敢公然宿妾所,然益嬖寶帶,疏朱。後徙其居,與帛商狄姓者為鄰。狄妻恆娘,先過院謁朱。恆娘三十許,姿僅中人,而言詞輕倩。朱悅之。次日,答其拜,見其室亦有小妻,年二十以來,甚娟好。鄰居幾半年,並不聞其詬誶一語;而狄獨鍾愛恆娘,副室則虛員而已。朱一日見恆娘而問之曰:「余向謂良人之愛妾,為其為妾也,每欲易妻之名呼作妾。今乃知不然。夫人何術?如可授,願北面為弟子。」恆娘曰:「嘻!子則自疏,而尤男子乎?朝夕而絮聒之,是為叢驅雀,其離滋甚耳!其歸益縱之,即男子自來,勿納也。一月後,當再為子謀之。」朱從其言,益飾寶帶,使從丈夫寢。洪一飲食,亦使寶帶共之。洪時一周旋朱,朱拒之益力,於是共稱朱氏賢。如是月餘,朱往見恆娘。恆娘喜曰:「得之矣!子歸毀若妝,勿華服,勿脂澤,垢面敝履,雜家人操作。一月後,可復來。」朱從之:衣敝補衣,故為不潔清,而紡績外無他問。洪憐之,使寶帶分其勞;朱不受,輒叱去之。如是者一月,又往見恆娘。恆娘曰:「孺子真可教也!後日為上巳節,欲招子踏春園。子當盡去敝衣,袍袴襪履,嶄然一新,早過我。」朱曰:「諾。」至日,攬鏡細勻鉛黃,一一如恆娘教。妝竟,過恆娘,恆娘喜曰:「可矣!」又代換鳳髻,光可鑑影;袍袖不合時製,拆其線,更作之;謂其履樣拙,更於笥中出業履,共成之,訖,即令易著。……臨別,飲以酒,囑曰:「歸去一見男子,即早閉戶寢,渠來叩關,勿聽也。三度呼,可一度納。口索舌,手索足,皆吝之。半月後,當復來。」朱歸,炫妝見洪,洪上下凝睇之,歡笑異於平時。朱少話游覽,便支頤作惰態;日未昏,即起入房,闔扉眠矣。未幾,洪果來款關;朱堅臥不起,洪始去。次夕復然。明日,洪讓之。朱曰:「獨眠習慣,不堪復擾。」日既西,洪入閨坐守之。滅燭登床,如調新婦,綢繆甚懽。更為次夜之約;朱不可長,與洪約,以三日為率。半月許,復詣恆娘。恆娘闔門與語曰:「從此可以擅專房矣。然子雖美,不媚也。子之姿,一媚可奪西施之寵,況下者乎!」於是試使睨,曰:「非也!病在外眥。」試使笑,又曰:「非也!病在左頤。」乃以秋波送嬌,又囅然瓠犀微露,使朱傚之。凡數十作,始略得其彷彿。恆娘曰:「子歸矣!攬鏡而嫺習之,術無餘矣。至於床第之間,隨機而動之,因所好而投之,此非可以言傳者也。」朱歸,一如恆娘教。洪大悅,形神俱惑,唯恐見拒。日將暮,則相對調笑,跬步不離閨闥,日以為常,竟不能推之使去。朱益善遇寶帶,每房中之宴,輒呼與共榻坐;而洪視寶帶益醜,不終席,遣去之。朱賺夫入寶帶房,扃閉之,洪終夜無所沾染。於是寶帶恨洪,對人輒怨謗。洪益厭怒之,漸施鞭楚。寶帶忿,不自修,拖敝垢履,頭類蓬葆,更不復可言人矣。恆娘一日謂朱曰:「我之術如何?」朱曰:「道則至妙;然弟子能由之,而終不能知之也。縱之,何也?」曰:「子不聞乎:人情厭故而喜新,重難而輕易?丈夫之愛妾,非必其美也,甘其所乍獲,而幸其所難遘也。縱而飽之,則珍錯亦厭,況藜羹乎!」「毀之而復炫之,何也?」曰:「置不留目,則似久別;忽睹豔妝,則如新至,譬貧人驟得梁肉,則視脫粟非味矣。而又不易與之,則彼故而我新,彼易而我難,此即子易妻為妾之法也。」朱大悅,遂為閨中之密友。積數年,忽謂朱曰:「我兩人情若一體,自當不昧生平。向欲言而恐疑之也;行相別,敢以實告:妾乃狐也。幼遭繼母之變,鬻妾都中。良人遇我厚,故不忍遽絕,戀戀以至於今。明日老父尸解,妾往省覲,不復還矣。」朱把手唏噓。早旦往視,則舉家惶駭,恆娘已杳。

洪大业,都中人。妻朱氏,姿致颇佳,两相爱悦。后洪纳婢宝带为妾,貌远逊朱,而洪嬖之。朱不平,辄以此反目。洪虽不敢公然宿妾所,然益嬖宝带,疏朱。后徙其居,与帛商狄姓者为邻。狄妻恒娘,先过院谒朱。恒娘三十许,姿仅中人,而言词轻倩。朱悦之。次日,答其拜,见其室亦有小妻,年二十以来,甚娟好。邻居几半年,并不闻其诟谇一语;而狄独钟爱恒娘,副室则虚员而已。朱一日见恒娘而问之曰:「余向谓良人之爱妾,为其为妾也,每欲易妻之名呼作妾。今乃知不然。夫人何术?如可授,愿北面为弟子。」恒娘曰:「嘻!子则自疏,而尤男子乎?朝夕而絮聒之,是为丛驱雀,其离滋甚耳!其归益纵之,即男子自来,勿纳也。一月后,当再为子谋之。」朱从其言,益饰宝带,使从丈夫寝。洪一饮食,亦使宝带共之。洪时一周旋朱,朱拒之益力,于是共称朱氏贤。如是月余,朱往见恒娘。恒娘喜曰:「得之矣!子归毁若妆,勿华服,勿脂泽,垢面敝履,杂家人操作。一月后,可复来。」朱从之:衣敝补衣,故为不洁清,而纺绩外无他问。洪怜之,使宝带分其劳;朱不受,辄叱去之。如是者一月,又往见恒娘。恒娘曰:「孺子真可教也!后日为上巳节,欲招子踏春园。子当尽去敝衣,袍袴袜履,崭然一新,早过我。」朱曰:「诺。」至日,揽镜细匀铅黄,一一如恒娘教。妆竟,过恒娘,恒娘喜曰:「可矣!」又代换凤髻,光可鉴影;袍袖不合时制,拆其线,更作之;谓其履样拙,更于笥中出业履,共成之,讫,即令易着。……临别,饮以酒,嘱曰:「归去一见男子,即早闭户寝,渠来叩关,勿听也。三度呼,可一度纳。口索舌,手索足,皆吝之。半月后,当复来。」朱归,炫妆见洪,洪上下凝睇之,欢笑异于平时。朱少话游览,便支颐作惰态;日未昏,即起入房,阖扉眠矣。未几,洪果来款关;朱坚卧不起,洪始去。次夕复然。明日,洪让之。朱曰:「独眠习惯,不堪复扰。」日既西,洪入闺坐守之。灭烛登床,如调新妇,绸缪甚懽。更为次夜之约;朱不可长,与洪约,以三日为率。半月许,复诣恒娘。恒娘阖门与语曰:「从此可以擅专房矣。然子虽美,不媚也。子之姿,一媚可夺西施之宠,况下者乎!」于是试使睨,曰:「非也!病在外眦。」试使笑,又曰:「非也!病在左颐。」乃以秋波送娇,又冁然瓠犀微露,使朱傚之。凡数十作,始略得其仿佛。恒娘曰:「子归矣!揽镜而娴习之,术无余矣。至于床第之间,随机而动之,因所好而投之,此非可以言传者也。」朱归,一如恒娘教。洪大悦,形神俱惑,唯恐见拒。日将暮,则相对调笑,跬步不离闺闼,日以为常,竟不能推之使去。朱益善遇宝带,每房中之宴,辄呼与共榻坐;而洪视宝带益丑,不终席,遣去之。朱赚夫入宝带房,扃闭之,洪终夜无所沾染。于是宝带恨洪,对人辄怨谤。洪益厌怒之,渐施鞭楚。宝带忿,不自修,拖敝垢履,头类蓬葆,更不复可言人矣。恒娘一日谓朱曰:「我之术如何?」朱曰:「道则至妙;然弟子能由之,而终不能知之也。纵之,何也?」曰:「子不闻乎:人情厌故而喜新,重难而轻易?丈夫之爱妾,非必其美也,甘其所乍获,而幸其所难遘也。纵而饱之,则珍错亦厌,况藜羹乎!」「毁之而复炫之,何也?」曰:「置不留目,则似久别;忽睹艳妆,则如新至,譬贫人骤得梁肉,则视脱粟非味矣。而又不易与之,则彼故而我新,彼易而我难,此即子易妻为妾之法也。」朱大悦,遂为闺中之密友。积数年,忽谓朱曰:「我两人情若一体,自当不昧生平。向欲言而恐疑之也;行相别,敢以实告:妾乃狐也。幼遭继母之变,鬻妾都中。良人遇我厚,故不忍遽绝,恋恋以至于今。明日老父尸解,妾往省觐,不复还矣。」朱把手唏嘘。早旦往视,则举家惶骇,恒娘已杳。

Hong Daye was a man of the capital. His wife, Mrs. Zhu, was pretty and graceful, and the two of them loved each other. Later Hong took a maid, Baodai, as his concubine. She was far less pretty than Mrs. Zhu, but Hong doted on her. Mrs. Zhu resented it, and they often fell out over it. Hong did not dare spend his nights openly in the concubine’s room, but he doted on Baodai more and more and grew distant from his wife.

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