To outsiders Du Liniang is a talented, beautiful and intelligent girl from a respectable family. Like others this carefree girl had her own set of problems. Her father was from an old-fashioned aristocratic family with high prestige in the locality. A family like his was definitely not liberal. He would ask his daughter not to walk out of the house by herself and not to show her teeth when she smiled. As she grew older, she became prettier like a flower. However, the father pinched the bud tightly in his hand before the delicate and charming flower blooms. Under such rigid and rigorous home education and control, much of Miss Du’s natural instinct has been inhibited. She became more and more dignified and modest, showing demeanor of a prestigious family when she behaved. All in all, the dull and tedious atmosphere of the grand mansion made her feel unhappy. Having read the verse “Ospreys are chirping for love at the shoal, and slim and beautiful ladies are good partners for gentlemen” in the Book of Songs, she became volatile and her heart restless. She was often distracted and felt ill at ease when she read books in class. She would put down her books and kept on sighing.
One day, when the maid noticed how unhappy the young mistress appeared she encouraged her to go play in the garden. The young mistress certainly wanted to go but she was afraid of her parents’ rebuke and scold. “The master has gone to inspect the crops in the countryside and won’t be back for days.” the maid told her. “What are you afraid of?”
The young mistress hesitated briefly and, unable to resist the temptation, plucked up her courage and went with the maid to explore the garden.
Beyond the gate was gorgeous scenery of spring. The green buds are sprouting. The red, white, yellow and pink flowers were blooming so bright and shining that Liniang gasped. The garden made her happy. Coming out of the inanimate boudoir and into a surrounding of beautiful flowers, she suddenly felt relieved. Everything before her eyes was so pleasing to see. She wondered why her dad had never taken her to the garden, not even mentioned the existence of it.
Together the girls wandered through the garden, came around the rockery, through the wisteria pergola, stopped by the peony railing to watch the flying butterflies over the flowers and listen the yellow warbler singing at the Peony Pavilion. The beauty and vitality of the garden intoxicated her completely.
Seeing that such vibrant and beautiful scenery is locked up behind the wall and fell into disuse, suggestive of the circumstance she was in, the young mistress was a bit sentimental. She was like the flowers in the garden, beautiful but unknown, locked up behind the walls of the mansion. The beautiful peony would wither and fall after the spring season and eventually only the dead twigs and withered leaves remained. The young mistress thought to herself that she might shares the same destiny with those falling peonies. Disturbed by the thought, she sighed and quickly lost the excitement over and interest in the beautiful scenery before her eyes.
“Chunxiang, I’m tired. Let’s leave here.”
When Liniang returned to her boudoir she threw herself onto her bed. She felt tired from the walk in the garden and fell asleep over the table.
She dreamed that a young scholar, holding a willow twig in his hand, entered her room.
“Young mistress, I have been looking for you and here you are,” he spoke softly.
Liniang stood up quickly, puzzled and shocked. She had never spoken to any young man before and therefore could not think of anything to say. Speechless, she gave him a quick glance, her head spinning.
“I plucked a willow twig when I passed through the garden”, the young man said. “You are such a talented girl. Could you compose a poem praising the willow tree?”
Though she didn’t know him, he gave her an impression of a refined and learned person. And he was handsome. Yet she was confused. “How did he know me if we have never met before,” She asked herself. She wanted to talk to the young man but knew that girls, especially ones of her status, weren’t supposed to do such things. He seemed to have read her mind.
“Young mistress, it’s so beautiful out. How about a walk in the garden,” said the young man, holding her hand in his.
They walked into the garden together. She felt as if he was walking her into a fairyland. He softly whispered his love into her ear and she bashfully listened in silence. She felt the spring scenery in the garden was getting more gorgeous and flirtatious. All the flowers seemed to smile toward her and birds ceaselessly sing their songs. Surrounded by the beautiful peonies, the congenial pair holds each other tightly beside the Peony Pavilion. The girl had the warm and sweet feeling she never felt before. She closed her eyes and enjoyed to the greatest extend the fascination and emotional attachment.
Nobody knew how long they sat there before she heard the nameless young man said, “Young mistress, you must be tired. Let me escort you back.” The young man accompanied her back to her boudoir and said, “I must go now. Sweet dreams.”
She didn’t want him to leave and was about to walk him to the door when her mother burst into the room. Her eyes flew open, only to realize there was no one else in the room. It had all been a dream. Her face fell. Dreams were illusory, but this one was sweat and evocative. She felt even more alone than before.
