Chapter 714: That madman and that beautiful maiden

That madman and that beautiful maiden

Twenty-first day: That madman and that beautiful maiden

"Tender cold locks dreams because of spring chill, fragrant air assails people, it is the scent of wine." These two lines of poetry were seen by Baoyu in Qin Qinqin's boudoir. When Baoyu took a midday nap in Qin Keqin's chambers, was it also this early spring February?

Recently my thoughts have been a bit muddled, my memory not very clear. So what I write lacks coherence, the plot seems somewhat doubtful, but please bear with me, I will try. Or let me first say a few casual remarks—

Now is exactly the "tender cold" season; the grass has just sprouted tender shoots, the trees are just budding. This dream, however, exists. Not only do you have it, I have it, everyone has it.

A life without dreams is a pale life.

I recall in Shaweng's play Hamlet, the half-mad, half-simple Hamlet said some foolish words to his lover Ophelia; because those few words are related to dreams, speaking of dreams reminds me of them.

Listen, Hamlet said to his beloved maiden: "Asleep, asleep, perhaps still dreaming."

This really is the foolish talk of a simpleton: sleeping people dreaming is normal. To say that people who are not asleep dream—that would be worth mentioning. So, a fool's words are generally not believable.

Speaking of that foolish Hamlet and his lover Ophelia, I also recall an interesting dialogue between them—

That day, in the rear garden of the palace, the moonlight was bright. Fragrant air assailed the senses.

Under the moonlight, Ophelia invited her lover Hamlet out to whisper sweet nothings, to pour out her heart.

Hamlet asked his lover Ophelia: "Are you chaste?"

Ophelia was a little angry, yet dared not act, saying: "Dear, please believe me, I am very traditional, especially valuing my reputation. Although before you I had talked with others, there was absolutely nothing improper. I am a very chaste maiden."

"Then are you beautiful?"

"What do you mean by that? Am I really ugly? Though my appearance is a bit ugly, isn't my spirit beautiful? Wasn't that what you originally approved of? Are you now regretting it?"

That Hamlet, disregarding Ophelia's feelings, only concerned with his own expression, said: "If you are both chaste and beautiful, then your chastity should cut off relations with your beauty."

This is simply madness.

Hearing this, could that maiden not be angry: "How are chastity and beauty tied together? Does a beautiful person lack chastity? Does a chaste person lack beauty?"

Hamlet rebutted Ophelia: "Your words are truly puzzling. Besides beauty, is there any better companion?"

Actually, Ophelia's words to Hamlet are puzzling: "Besides chastity, does beauty have no better companion? Wealth, status?" Therefore Hamlet could not accept.

Hamlet then continued: "Well, sorry, I cannot accept your words; because beauty can turn chastity into **, while chastity may not necessarily be swayed by its own influence. Nowadays such things are common. Some people specifically use beauty to trade for money; as for chastity, that person is secondary. Money is the real problem. I should not have trusted beauty in the first place; my heart was bewitched by your beauty. Now I know I was deceived; you also should not have trusted me initially, you are someone I lured with my sweet talk. Actually, I love your beauty, not your virtue; of course, I also do not rule out that I still love your father's position—isn't your father a high official?"

Ophelia, hearing Hamlet's words, became even angrier.

Ophelia said to Hamlet: "Your words are topsy-turvy, seeming true yet false, truly confusing. It's really hard to fathom. So, according to what you say, am I deceived by you? Those sweet nothings you whispered under flowers and moon earlier—were they all deceitful nonsense aimed at me..."