In the narrative of "Dream of the Red Chamber," the story of the unfortunate Daiyu and her companions unfolds against the backdrop of the Jia family's complex household. Here is the English translation of the provided text:
Daiyu and her sisters had come to Lady Wang's quarters, where they found her discussing domestic matters with a messenger from her brother's wife, mentioning legal troubles involving a human life. Perceiving the complexity of Lady Wang's affairs, the sisters took their leave and retired to the chamber of their widowed sister-in-law, Mrs. Li.
Mrs. Li was the wife of Jia Zhu, who had died young, but not without leaving behind a son, Jia Lan, now five years old and already attending school. Mrs. Li, a lady from a renowned official family in Jinling, was the daughter of Li Shouzhong, a former director of the Imperial Academy. It was a family where both men and women were well-versed in poetry and literature. However, Li Shouzhong held the view that 'a woman needs no talent to have virtue,' and thus, when Mrs. Li was born, he did not insist she be well-educated. She was merely made acquainted with a few books such as the 'Four Books for Women,' 'Biographies of Exemplary Women,' and 'Collection of Virtuous Ladies,' to recognize a few characters and remember a few virtuous women from the past. Her true focus was on domestic chores, hence her given name was Li Wan, with the courtesy name Gongcai. Despite her youth, Li Wan, now a widow, lived in a wealthy household as if she were dead wood and cold ash, indifferent to all sights and sounds, only devoted to serving her family and raising her son, and accompanying her younger aunts in their sewing and reading.
Now, let us turn to Yu Cun, who, upon being appointed to the Yingtian Prefecture, was immediately faced with a murder case. It was a dispute over the purchase of a maidservant, where both parties refused to yield, leading to a fight that resulted in a death. At that time, Yu Cun immediately summoned the plaintiff for questioning. The plaintiff stated, "The deceased, beaten to death, was my master. He had bought a maidservant, not knowing she had been abducted and sold. The kidnapper had already received our silver, and our young master had decided that the third day would be a propitious day to bring her home. However, the kidnapper quietly sold her to the Xue family. Upon discovering this, we sought out the seller and tried to reclaim the maid. Alas, the Xue family, a local tyrant in Jinling, relying on their wealth and power, had their servants beat our young master to death. The perpetrators have all fled, leaving only a few unrelated individuals. I have been filing this lawsuit for a year now, and no one has been willing to take charge. I beseech your honor to apprehend the culprits, to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. The deceased will be eternally grateful for your heavenly mercy!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Cun became furious. "How dare they commit such an outrageous act and simply walk away with it!" He ordered the constables to immediately arrest the culprits and their kin for interrogation, demanding to know where they were hiding and issuing a warrant for their arrest. Just as he was about to issue the warrant, a doorkeeper by the side of the case made a meaningful look, signaling him not to proceed. Yu Cun was puzzled and had no choice but to halt his actions. He promptly adjourned the session and retired to a private chamber, where all attendants were dismissed, leaving only the doorkeeper to serve him. The doorkeeper quickly approached, greeted him, and with a smile asked, "Your honor has been promoted and forgotten me in these eight or nine years?" Yu Cun replied, "You do look familiar, but I cannot quite place you." The doorkeeper chuckled, "Your honor truly has the memory of a noble man; you've forgotten your roots and the matters of the Hulu Temple." Yu Cun was struck with the memory, realizing that the doorkeeper was once a young monk from the Hulu Temple. After the fire, he had nowhere to go. He wanted to practice in another temple but could not bear the cold and quiet, so he chose this lively and easy profession, growing his hair and becoming a doorkeeper. Yu Cun had not expected it to be him and quickly took his hand with a smile, saying, "You are an old acquaintance." He offered him a seat for a good talk. The doorkeeper dared not sit. Yu Cun laughed, "We must not forget the friends of our humble beginnings. You and I are old acquaintances, and this is a private room. Since we wish to have a long talk, there is no reason for you not to sit." Hearing this, the doorkeeper took his seat, sitting sideways with a sign of respect.
Yu Cun inquired about the reason for not allowing him to issue the warrant just now. The doorkeeper said, "Your honor has taken office in this province, but have you not made a copy of the 'Official Protection Talisman' of this province?" Yu Cun hurriedly asked, "What is the 'Official Protec