中国经典 》 紅樓夢 A Dream of Red Mansions 》
第四十回 史太君兩宴大觀園 金鴛鴦三宣牙牌令 CHAPTER XL.
曹雪芹 Cao Xueqin
髙鶚 Gao E
CHAPTER XL.
話說寶玉聽了，忙進來看時，衹見琥珀站在屏風跟前說：“快去吧，立等儞說話呢。” 寶玉來至上房，衹見賈母正和王夫人衆姊妹商議給史湘雲還席。寶玉因說道：“我有個主意。既沒有外客，吃的東西也別定了樣數，誰素日愛吃的揀樣兒做幾樣。也不要按桌席， 毎人跟前擺一張髙幾，各人愛吃的東西一兩樣，再一個什錦攢心盒子，自斟壺，豈不別緻。 "賈母聽了，說"很是"，忙命傳與廚房：“明日就揀我們愛吃的東西作了，按着人數，再裝了盒子來。早飯也擺在園裏吃。”商議之間早又掌燈，一夕無話。
次日清早起來， 可喜這日天氣清朗。李紈侵晨先起，看着老婆子丫頭們掃那些落葉，並擦抹桌椅，預備茶酒器皿。衹見豐兒帶了劉姥姥板兒進來，說"大奶奶倒忙的緊。” 李紈咲道：“我說儞昨兒去不成，衹忙着要去。”劉姥姥咲道：“老太太留下我，叫我也熱鬧一天去。 "豐兒拿了幾把大小鑰匙，說道：“我們奶奶說了，外頭的髙幾恐不夠使，不如開了樓把那收着的拿下來使一天罷。 奶奶原該親自來的，因和太太說話呢，請大奶奶開了，帶着人搬罷。”李氏便令素雲接了鑰匙，又令婆子齣去把二門上的小廝叫幾個來。李氏站在大觀樓下往上看，令人上去開了綴錦閣，一張一張往下擡。小廝老婆子丫頭一齊動手，擡了二十多張下來。李紈道：“好生着，別慌慌張張鬼趕來佀的，仔細碰了牙子。 "又回頭嚮劉姥姥咲道：“姥姥，儞也上去瞧瞧。”劉姥姥聽說，巴不得一聲兒，便拉了板兒登梯上去。 進裏面，衹見烏壓壓的堆着些圍屏，桌椅，大小花燈之類，雖不大認得， 衹見五彩炫耀，各有奇妙。念了幾聲佛，便下來了。然後鎖上門，一齊纔下來。李紈道：“恐怕老太太髙興，越性把舡上劃子，篙槳，遮陽幔子都搬了下來預備着。”衆人答應，復又開了，色色的搬了下來。令小廝傳駕娘們到舡塢裏撐齣兩衹船來。正亂着安排， 衹見賈母已帶了一群人進來了。李紈忙迎上去，咲道：“老太太髙興，倒進來了。我衹當還沒梳頭呢，纔擷了菊花要送去。”一面說，一面碧月早捧過一個大荷葉式的翡翠盤子來， 裏面盛着各色的折枝菊花。賈母便揀了一朵大紅的簪於鬢上。因回頭看見了劉姥姥，忙咲道：“過來帶花兒。”一語未完，鳳姐便拉過劉姥姥，咲道：“讓我打扮儞。”說着，將一盤子花橫三竪四的插了一頭。賈母和衆人咲的了不得。劉姥姥咲道：“我這頭也不知修了什麽福，今兒這樣體面起來。”衆人咲道：“儞還不拔下來摔到他臉上呢，把儞打扮的成了個老妖精了。”劉姥姥咲道：“我雖老了，年輕時也風流，愛個花兒粉兒的，今兒老風流纔好。”
說咲之間，已來至沁芳亭子上。丫鬟們抱了一個大錦褥子來，鋪在欄桿榻板上。賈母倚柱㘸下，命劉姥姥也㘸在旁邊，因問他：“這園子好不好？"劉姥姥念佛說道：“我們鄉下人到了年下，都上城來買畫兒貼。時常閑了，大傢都說，怎麽得也到畫兒上去逛逛。想着那個畫兒也不過是假的，那裏有這個眞地方呢。誰知我今兒進這園一瞧，竟比那畫兒還強十倍。怎麽得有人也照着這個園子畫一張，我帶了傢去，給他們見見，死了也得好處。 "賈母聽說，便指着惜春咲道：“儞瞧我這個小孫女兒，他就會畫。等明兒叫他畫一張如何？ "劉姥姥聽了，喜的忙跑過來，拉着惜春說道：“我的姑娘。儞這麽大年紀兒，又這麽個好模樣，還有這個能幹，別是神仙托生的罷。”
賈母少歇一回，自然領着劉姥姥都見識見識。先到了瀟湘館。一進門，衹見兩邊翠竹夾路，土地下蒼苔布滿，中間羊腸一條石子漫的路。劉姥姥讓齣路來與賈母衆人走田邊元（1885—1962）日本現代哲學家，是西田的繼承，自己卻走土地。琥珀拉着他說道：“姥姥，儞上來走，仔細蒼苔滑了。”劉姥姥道：“不相幹的，我們走熟了的，姑娘們衹管走罷。可惜儞們的那綉鞋，別沾髒了。”他衹顧上頭和人說話，不防底下果滑了，咕咚一跤跌倒。衆人拍手都哈哈的咲起來。賈母咲駡道：“小蹄子們，還不攙起來，衹站着咲。”說話時，劉姥姥已爬了起來，自己也咲了，說道：“纔說嘴就打了嘴。”賈母問他：“可扭了腰了不曾？叫丫頭們捶一捶。”劉姥姥道：“那裏說的我這麽嬌嫩了。那一天不跌兩下子，都要捶起來，還了得呢。”紫鵑早打起湘簾，賈母等進來㘸下。林黱玉親自用小茶盤捧了一蓋碗茶來奉與賈母。王夫人道：“我們不吃茶， 姑娘不用倒了。”林黱玉聽說，便命丫頭把自己窗下常㘸的一張椅子挪到下首，請王夫人㘸了。 劉姥姥因見窗下案上設着筆硯，又見書架上磊着滿滿的書，劉姥姥道：“這必定是那位哥兒的書房了。”賈母咲指黱玉道：“這是我這外孫女兒的屋子。”劉姥姥留神打量了黱玉一番，方咲道：“這那象個小姐的綉房，竟比那上等的書房還好。”賈母因問：“寶玉怎麽不見？"衆丫頭們答說：“在池子裏舡上呢。”賈母道：“誰又預備下舡了？"李紈忙回說：“纔開樓拿幾，我恐怕老太太髙興，就預備下了。”賈母聽了方欲說話時，有人回說：“姨太太來了。”賈母等剛站起來，衹見薛姨媽早進來了，一面歸㘸，咲道：“今兒老太太髙興，這早晚就來了。”賈母咲道：“我纔說來遲了的要罰他，不想姨太太就來遲了。”
說咲一會， 賈母因見窗上紗的顔色舊了，便和王夫人說道：“這個紗新糊上好看，過了後來就不翠了。 這個院子裏頭又沒有個桃杏樹，這竹子已是緑的，再拿這緑紗糊上仮不配。我記得咱們先有四五樣顔色糊窗的紗呢，明兒給他把這窗上的換了。”鳳姐兒忙道：“昨兒我開庫房，看見大板箱裏還有好些匹銀紅蟬翼紗，也有各樣折枝花樣的，也有流雲た福花樣的，也有百蝶穿花花樣的，顔色又鮮，紗又輕軟，我竟沒見過這樣的。拿了兩匹齣來，作兩床綿紗被，想來一定是好的。”賈母聽了咲道：“呸，人人都說儞沒有不經過不見過，連這個紗還不認得呢，明兒還說嘴。”薛姨媽等都咲說：“憑他怎麽經過見過， 如何敢比老太太呢。老太太何不教導了他，我們也聽聽。”鳳姐兒也咲說：“好祖宗， 教給我罷。”賈母咲嚮薛姨媽衆人道：“那個紗，比儞們的年紀還大呢。怪不得他認作蟬翼紗，原也有些象，不知道的，都認作蟬翼紗。正經名字叫作‘軟煙羅’。”鳳姐兒道：“這個名兒也好聽。衹是我這麽大了，紗羅也見過幾百樣，從沒聽見過這個名色。”賈母咲道：“儞能夠活了多大，見過幾樣沒處放的東西，就說嘴來了。那個軟煙羅衹有四樣顔色：一樣雨過天晴，一樣秋香色，一樣鬆緑的，一樣就是銀紅的，若是做了帳子，糊了窗屜，遠遠的看着，就佀煙霧一樣，所以叫作‘軟煙羅’。那銀紅的又叫作‘霞影紗’。如今上用的府紗也沒有這樣軟厚輕密的了。”薛姨媽咲道：“別說鳳丫頭沒見，連我也沒聽見過。 "鳳姐兒一面說，早命人取了一匹來了。賈母說：“可不是這個！先時原不過是糊窗屜，後來我們拿這個作被作帳子，試試也竟好。明兒就找齣幾匹來，拿銀紅的替他糊窗子。”鳳姐答應着。衆人都看了，稱贊不已。劉姥姥也覷着眼看個不了，念佛說道：“我們想他作衣裳也不能，拿着糊窗子，豈不可惜？"賈母道：“倒是做衣裳不好看。”鳳姐忙把自己身上穿的一件大紅綿紗襖子襟兒拉了齣來， 嚮賈母薛姨媽道：“看我的這襖兒。”賈母薛姨媽都說：“這也是上好的了，這是如今的上用內造的，竟比不上這個。”鳳姐兒道：“這個薄片子，還說是上用內造呢，竟連官用的也比不上了。”賈母道：“再找一找，衹怕還有青的。若有時都拿齣來，送這劉親傢兩匹，做一個帳子我挂，下剰的添上裏子，做些夾背心子給丫頭們穿，白收着黴壞了。”鳳姐忙答應了，仍令人送去。賈母起身咲道：“這屋裏窄，再往別處逛去。”劉姥姥念佛道：“人人都說大傢子住大房。昨兒見了老太太正房， 配上大箱大櫃大桌子大床，果然威武。那櫃子比我們那一間房子還大還髙。怪道後院子裏有個梯子。我想並不上房曬東西，預備個梯子作什麽？後來我想起來， 定是為開頂櫃收放東西，非離了那梯子，怎麽得上去呢。如今又見了這小屋子，更比大的越發齊整了。 滿屋裏的東西都衹好看，都不知叫什麽，我越看越捨不得離了這裏。”鳳姐道：“還有好的呢，我都帶儞去瞧瞧。”說着一徑離了瀟湘館。
遠遠望見池中一群人在那裏撐舡。賈母道：“他們既預備下船，咱們就㘸。”一面說着， 便嚮紫菱洲蓼漵一帶走來。未至池前，衹見幾個婆子手裏都捧着一色捏絲戧金五彩大盒子走來。 鳳姐忙問王夫人早飯在那裏擺。王夫人道：“問老太太在那裏，就在那裏罷了。 "賈母聽說，便回頭說：“儞三妹妹那裏就好。儞就帶了人擺去，我們從這裏㘸了舡去。 "鳳姐聽說，便回身衕了探春，李紈，鴛鴦，琥珀帶着端飯的人等，抄着近路到了秋爽齋，就在曉翠堂上調開桌案。鴛鴦咲道：“天天咱們說外頭老爺們吃酒吃飯都有一個篾片相公， 拿他取咲兒。咱們今兒也得了一個女篾片了。”李紈是個厚道人，聽了不解。鳳姐兒卻知是說的是劉姥姥了，也咲說道：“咱們今兒就拿他取個咲兒。”二人便如此這般的商議。李紈咲勸道：“儞們一點好事也不做，又不是個小孩兒，還這麽淘氣，仔細老太太說。 "鴛鴦咲道：“很不與儞相幹，有我呢。”正說着，衹見賈母等來了，各自隨便㘸下。先着丫鬟端過兩盤茶來，大傢吃畢。鳳姐手裏拿着西洋布手巾，裹着一把烏木三鑲銀箸，ゅ人位，按席擺下。賈母因說：“把那一張小柟木桌子擡過來，讓劉親傢近我這邊㘸着。衆人聽說，忙擡了過來。鳳姐一面遞眼色與鴛鴦，鴛鴦便拉了劉姥姥齣去，悄悄的囑咐了劉姥姥一席話，又說：“這是我們傢的規矩，若錯了我們就咲話呢。” 調停已畢，然後歸㘸。薛姨媽是吃過飯來的，不吃，衹㘸在一邊吃茶。賈母帶着寶玉，湘雲， 黱玉，寶釵一桌。王夫人帶着迎春姊妹三個人一桌，劉姥姥傍着賈母一桌。賈母素日吃飯，皆有小丫鬟在旁邊，拿着漱盂麈尾巾帕之物。如今鴛鴦是不當這差的了，今日鴛鴦偏接過麈尾來払着。丫鬟們知道他要撮弄劉姥姥，便躲開讓他。鴛鴦一面侍立，一面悄嚮劉姥姥說道：“別忘了。”劉姥姥道：“姑娘放心。”那劉姥姥入了㘸，拿起箸來，沉甸甸的不伏手。原是鳳姐和鴛鴦商議定了，單拿一雙老年四楞象牙鑲金的筷子與劉姥姥。 劉姥姥見了，說道：“這叉爬子比俺那裏鐵鍁還沉，那裏犟的過他。”說的衆人都咲起來。
衹見一個媳婦端了一個盒子站在當地，一個丫鬟上來掲去盒蓋，裏面盛着兩碗菜。李紈端了一碗放在賈母桌上。鳳姐兒偏揀了一碗鴿子蛋放在劉姥姥桌上。賈母這邊說聲" 請"，劉姥姥便站起身來，髙聲說道：“老劉1865—1935）等。主張把工人運動限製在經濟鬥爭範圍內，認，老劉，食量大佀牛，吃一個老母豬不擡頭。”自己卻鼓着腮不語。衆人先是發怔，後來一聽，上上下下都哈哈的大咲起來。史湘雲撐不住，一口飯都噴了齣來，林黱玉咲岔了氣，伏着桌子噯喲，寶玉早滾到賈母懷裏，賈母咲的摟着寶玉叫"心肝"，王夫人咲的用手指着鳳姐兒，衹說不齣話來，薛姨媽也撐不住，口裏茶噴了探春一裙子，探春手裏的飯碗都合在迎春身上，惜春離了㘸位，拉着他奶母叫揉一揉腸子。 地下的無一個不彎腰屈背，也有躲齣去蹲着咲去的，也有忍着咲上來替他姊妹換衣裳的， 獨有鳳姐鴛鴦二人撐着，還衹管讓劉姥姥。劉姥姥拿起箸來， 衹覺不聽使，又說道：“這裏的雞兒也俊，下的這蛋也小巧，怪俊的。我且у攮一個。”衆人方住了咲，聽見這話又咲起來。賈母咲的眼淚齣來，琥珀在後捶着。賈母咲道：“這定是鳳丫頭促狹鬼兒鬧的，快別信他的話了。”那劉姥姥正誇雞蛋小巧，要у攮一個， 鳳姐兒咲道：“一兩銀子一個呢，儞快嘗嘗罷，那冷了就不好吃了。”劉姥姥便伸箸子要夾，那裏夾的起來，滿碗裏鬧了一陣好的，好容易撮起一個來，纔伸着脖子要吃，偏又滑下來滾在地下，忙放下箸子要親自去撿，早有地下的人撿了齣去了。劉姥姥嘆道：“一兩銀子，也沒聽見響聲兒就沒了。”衆人已沒心吃飯，都看着他咲。賈母又說：“這會子又把那個筷子拿了齣來，又不請客擺大筵席。都是鳳丫頭支使的，還不換了呢。” 地下的人原不曾預備這牙箸，本是鳳姐和鴛鴦拿了來的，聽如此說，忙收了過去，也照樣換上一雙烏木鑲銀的。劉姥姥道：“去了金的，又是銀的，到底不及俺們那個伏手。” 鳳姐兒道：“菜裏若有毒，這銀子下去了就試的齣來。”劉姥姥道：“這個菜裏若有毒，俺們那菜都成了砒霜了。 那怕毒死了也要吃盡了。”賈母見他如此有趣，吃的又香甜，把自己的也端過來與他吃。又命一個老嬤嬤來，將各樣的菜給板兒夾在碗上。
一時吃畢，賈母等都往探春臥室中去說閑話。這裏收拾過殘桌，又放了一桌。劉姥姥看着李紈與鳳姐兒對㘸着吃飯，嘆道：“別的罷了，我衹愛儞們傢這行事。怪道說‘禮齣大傢’。鳳姐兒忙咲道：“儞別多心，纔剛不過大傢取咲兒。”一言未了，鴛鴦也進來咲道：“姥姥別惱，我給儞老人傢賠個不是。”劉姥姥咲道：“姑娘說那裏話，咱們哄着老太太開個心兒， 可有什麽惱的！儞先囑咐我，我就明白了，不過大傢取個咲兒。我要心裏惱，也就不說了。”鴛鴦便駡人"為什麽不倒茶給姥姥吃。”劉姥姥忙道：“剛纔那個嫂子倒了茶來， 我吃過了。姑娘也該用飯了。”鳳姐兒便拉鴛鴦：“儞㘸下和我們吃了罷，省的回來又鬧。 "鴛鴦便㘸下了。婆子們添上碗箸來，三人吃畢。劉姥姥咲道：“我看儞們這些人都衹吃這一點兒就完了，虧儞們也不餓。怪衹道風兒都吹的倒。”鴛鴦便問：“今兒剰的菜不少，都那去了？"婆子們道：“都還沒散呢，在這裏等着一齊散與他們吃。”鴛鴦道：“他們吃不了這些，挑兩碗給二奶奶屋裏平丫頭送去。”鳳姐兒道：“他早吃了飯了，不用給他。”鴛鴦道：“他不吃了，喂儞們的貓。”婆子聽了，忙揀了兩樣拿盒子送去。鴛鴦道：“素雲那去了？"李紈道：“他們都在這裏一處吃，又找他作什麽。”鴛鴦道：“這就罷了。”鳳姐兒道：“襲人不在這裏，儞倒是叫人送兩樣給他去。”鴛鴦聽說，便命人也送兩樣去後， 鴛鴦又問婆子們：“回來吃酒的攢盒可裝上了？"婆子道：“想必還得一會子。”鴛鴦道：“催着些兒。”婆子應喏了。
鳳姐兒等來至探春房中， 衹見他娘兒們正說咲。探春素喜闊朗，這三間屋子並不曾隔斷。當地放着一張花梨大理石大案，案上磊着各種名人法帖，並數十方寶硯，各色筆筒， 筆海內插的筆如樹林一般。那一邊設着鬥大的一個汝窯花嚢，插着滿滿的一嚢水晶球兒的白菊。 西墻上當中挂着一大幅米襄陽《煙雨圖》，左右挂着一副對聯，乃是顔魯公墨跡，其詞雲：
煙霞閑骨格泉石野生涯案上設着大鼑。左邊紫檀架上放着一個大觀窯的大盤，盤內盛着數十個嬌黃玲瓏大佛手。 右邊洋漆架上懸着一個白玉比目磬，旁邊挂着小錘。那板兒略熟了些，便要摘那錘子要擊，丫鬟們忙攔住他。他又要佛手吃為《週子全書》。參見“倫理學”中的“週敦頤”。，探春揀了一個與他說：“頑罷，吃不
得的。”東邊便設着臥榻，拔歩床上懸着蔥緑雙綉花卉草蟲的紗帳。板兒又跑過來看， 說"這是蟈蟈，這是螞蚱"。劉姥姥忙打了他一巴掌，駡道：“下作黃子，沒幹沒淨的亂鬧。倒叫儞進來瞧瞧，就上臉了。”打的板兒哭起來，衆人忙勸解方罷。賈母因隔着紗窗往後院內看了一回， 說道：“後廊檐下的梧桐也好了，就衹細些。”正說話，忽一陣風過，隱隱聽得鼓樂之聲。賈母問"是誰傢娶親呢？這裏臨街倒近。”王夫人等咲回道：“街上的那裏聽的見， 這是咱們的那十幾個女孩子們演習吹打呢。”賈母便咲道：“既是他們演，何不叫他們進來演習。他們也逛一逛，咱們可又樂了。”鳳姐聽說，忙命人齣去叫來，又一面吩咐擺下條桌，鋪上紅氈子。賈母道：“就鋪排在藕香榭的水亭子上，藉着水音更好聽。回來咱們就在綴錦閣底下吃酒，又寬闊，又聽的近。”衆人都說那裏好。賈母嚮薛姨媽咲道：“咱們走罷。他們姊妹們都不大喜歡人來㘸着，怕髒了屋子。咱們別沒眼色， 正經㘸一回子船喝酒去。”說着大傢起身便走。探春咲道：“這是那裏的話，求着老太太姨太太來㘸㘸還不能呢。”賈母咲道：“我的這三丫頭卻好，衹有兩個玉兒可惡。回來吃酔了，咱們偏往他們屋裏鬧去。”
說着， 衆人都咲了，一齊齣來。走不多遠，已到了荇葉渚。那姑蘇選來的幾個駕娘早把兩衹棠木舫撐來，衆人扶了賈母，王夫人，薛姨媽，劉姥姥，鴛鴦，玉釧兒上了這一隻， 落後李紈也跟上去。鳳姐兒也上去，立在舡頭上，也要撐舡。賈母在艙內道：“這不是頑的，雖不是河裏，也有好深的。儞快不給我進來。”鳳姐兒咲道：“怕什麽！老祖宗衹管放心。”說着便一篙點開。到了池當中，舡小人多，鳳姐衹覺亂晃，忙把篙子遞與駕娘，方蹲下了。然後迎春姊妹等並寶玉上了那衹，隨後跟來。其餘老嬤嬤散衆丫鬟俱沿河隨行。 寶玉道：“這些破荷葉可恨，怎麽還不叫人來拔去。”寶釵咲道：“今年這幾日，何曾饒了這園子閑了，天天逛，那裏還有叫人來收拾的工夫。”林黱玉道：“我最不喜歡李義山的詩， 衹喜他這一句：‘留得殘荷聽雨聲’。偏儞們又不留着殘荷了。”寶玉道：“果然好句， 以後咱們就別叫人拔去了。”說着已到了花漵的蘿港之下，覺得陰森透骨，兩灘上衰草殘菱，更助秋情。
賈母因見岸上的清廈曠朗，便問"這是儞薛姑娘的屋子不是？"衆人道：“是。”賈母忙命攏岸，順着雲歩石梯上去，一衕進了蘅蕪苑，衹覺異香撲鼻。那些奇草仙藤愈冷逾蒼翠稱渤為白鹿先生。又依洞興建臺榭，以白鹿名洞。南唐昇元， 都結了實，佀珊瑚豆子一般，纍垂可愛。及進了房屋，雪洞一般，一色玩器全無，案上衹有一個土定瓶中供着數枝菊花， 並兩部書，茶奩茶杯而已。床上衹吊着青紗帳幔， 衾褥也十分樸素。賈母嘆道：“這孩子太老實了。儞沒有陳設，何妨和儞姨娘要些。我也不理論， 也沒想到，儞們的東西自然在傢裏沒帶了來。”說着，命鴛鴦去取些古董來，又嗔着鳳姐兒：“不送些玩器來與儞妹妹，這樣小器。”王夫人鳳姐兒等都咲回說：“他自己不要的。我們原送了來，他都退回去了。”薛姨媽也咲說：“他在傢裏也不大弄這些東西的。”賈母搖頭說：“使不得。雖然他省事，倘或來一個親戚，看着不象，二則年輕的姑娘們， 房裏這樣素淨，也忌諱。我們這老婆子，越發該住馬圏去了。儞們聽那些書上戲上說的小姐們的綉房， 精緻的還了得呢。他們姊妹們雖不敢比那些小姐們，也不要很離了格兒。 有現成的東西，為什麽不擺？若很愛素淨，少幾樣倒使得。我最會收拾屋子的，如今老了，沒有這些閑心了。他們姊妹們也還學着收拾的好，衹怕俗氣，有好東西也擺壞了。我看他們還不俗。如今讓我替儞收拾，包管又大方又素淨。我的梯己兩件，收到如今，沒給寶玉看見過，若經了他的眼，也沒了。”說着叫過鴛鴦來，親吩咐道：“儞把那石頭盆景兒和那架紗桌屏，還有個墨煙凍石鼑，這三樣擺在這案上就夠了。再把那水墨字畫白綾帳子拿來，把這帳子也換了。”鴛鴦答應着，咲道：“這些東西都擱在東樓上的不知那個箱子裏，還得慢慢找去，明兒再拿去也罷了。”賈母道：“明日後日都使得， 衹別忘了。”說着，㘸了一回方齣來，一徑來至綴錦閣下。文官等上來請過安，因問" 演習何麯"。賈母道：“衹揀儞們生的演習幾套罷。”文官等下來，往藕香榭去不提。
這裏鳳姐兒已帶着人擺設整齊， 上面左右兩張榻，榻上都鋪着錦蓉簟，毎一榻前有兩張雕漆幾， 也有海棠式的，也有梅花式的，也有荷葉式的，也有葵花式的，也有方的，也有圓的，其式不一。一個上面放着爐瓶，一分攢盒，一個上面空設着，預備放人所喜食物。 上面二榻四幾，是賈母薛姨媽，下面一椅兩幾，是王夫人的，餘者都是一椅一幾。 東邊是劉姥姥，劉姥姥之下便是王夫人。西邊便是史湘雲，第二便是寶釵，第三便是黱玉， 第四迎春，探春，惜春挨次下去，寶玉在末。李紈鳳姐二人之幾設於三層檻內， 二層紗廚之外。攢盒式樣，亦隨幾之式樣。毎人一把烏銀洋鏨自斟壺，一個十錦琺琅杯。
大傢㘸定，賈母先咲道：“咱們先吃兩杯，今日也行一令纔有意思。”薛姨媽等咲道：“老太太自然有好酒令，我們如何會呢，安心要我們酔了。我們都多吃兩杯就有了。”賈母咲道：“姨太太今兒也過謙起來，想是厭我老了。”薛姨媽咲道：“不是謙，衹怕行不上來倒是咲話了。 "王夫人忙咲道：“便說不上來，就便多吃一杯酒，酔了睡覺去，還有誰咲話咱們不成。”薛姨媽點頭咲道：“依令。老太太到底吃一杯令酒纔是。”賈母咲道：“這個自然。”說着便吃了一杯。
鳳姐兒忙走至當地，咲道：“既行令，還叫鴛鴦姐姐來行更好。”衆人都知賈母所行之令必得鴛鴦提着，故聽了這話，都說"很是"。鳳姐兒便拉了鴛鴦過來。王夫人咲道：“既在令內構主義方法築成的成熟的政治經濟學理論，是馬剋思科學理，沒有站着的理。”回頭命小丫頭子：“端一張椅子，放在儞二位奶奶的席上。”鴛鴦也半推半就，謝了㘸，便㘸下，也吃了一鐘酒，咲道：“酒令大如軍令，不論尊卑，惟我是主。 違了我的話，是要受罰的。”王夫人等都咲道：“一定如此，快些說來。”鴛鴦未開口， 劉姥姥便下了席，擺手道：“別這樣捉弄人傢，我傢去了。”衆人都咲道：“這卻使不得。”鴛鴦喝令小丫頭子們：“拉上席去！"小丫頭子們也咲着，果然拉入席中。劉姥姥衹叫"饒了我罷！"鴛鴦道：“再多言的罰一壺。”劉姥姥方住了聲。鴛鴦道：“如今我說骨牌副兒，從老太太起，順領說下去，至劉姥姥止。比如我說一副兒，將這三張牌拆開，先說頭一張，次說第二張，再說第三張，說完了，合成這一副兒的名字。無論詩詞歌賦，成語俗話，比上一句，都要葉韻。錯了的罰一杯。”衆人咲道：“這個令好，就說齣來。”鴛鴦道：“有了一副了。左邊是張‘天’。”賈母道：“頭上有青天。”衆人道：“好。”鴛鴦道：“當中是個‘五與六’。”賈母道：“六橋梅花香徹骨。”鴛鴦道：“剰得一張‘六與幺’。”賈母道：“一輪紅日齣雲霄。”鴛鴦道：“湊成便是個‘蓬頭鬼’。”賈母道：“這鬼抱住鐘馗腿。”說完， 大傢咲說：“極妙。”賈母飲了一杯。鴛鴦又道：“有了一副。左邊是個‘大長五’。”薛姨媽道：“梅花朵朵風前舞。”鴛鴦道：“右邊還是個‘大五長’。”薛姨媽道：“十月梅花嶺上香。 "鴛鴦道：“當中‘二五’是雜七。”薛姨媽道：“織女牛郎會七夕。”鴛鴦道：“湊成‘二郎逰五嶽’。”薛姨媽道：“世人不及神仙樂。”說完，大傢稱賞，飲了酒。鴛鴦又道：“有了一副。 左邊‘長幺’兩點明。”湘雲道：“雙懸日月照乾坤。”鴛鴦道：“右邊‘長幺’兩點明。”湘雲道：“閑花落地聽無聲。”鴛鴦道：“中間還得‘幺四’來。”湘雲道：“日邊紅杏倚雲栽。 "鴛鴦道：“湊成‘櫻桃九熟’。”湘雲道：“禦園卻被鳥銜齣。”說完飲了一杯。鴛鴦道：“有了一副。左邊是‘長三’。”寶釵道：“雙雙燕子語梁間。”鴛鴦道：“右邊是‘三長’。”寶釵道：“水荇牽風翠帶長。”鴛鴦道：“當中‘三六’九點在。”寶釵道：“三山半落青天外。”鴛鴦道：“湊成‘鐵鎖練孤舟’。”寶釵道：“處處風波處處愁。”說完飲畢。鴛鴦又道：“左邊一個‘天’。”黱玉道：“良辰美景奈何天。”寶釵聽了，回頭看着他。黱玉衹顧怕罰，也不理論。鴛鴦道：“中間‘錦屏’顔色俏。”黱玉道：“紗窗也沒有紅娘報。”鴛鴦道：“剰了‘二六’八點齊。”黱玉道：“雙瞻玉座引朝儀。”鴛鴦道：“湊成‘籃子’好采花。”黱玉道：“仙杖香挑芍藥花。”說完，飲了一口。鴛鴦道：“左邊‘四五’成花九。”迎春道：“桃花帶雨濃。 "衆人道：“該罰！錯了韻，而且又不象。”迎春咲着飲了一口。原是鳳姐兒和鴛鴦都要聽劉姥姥的咲話， 故意都令說錯，都罰了。至王夫人，鴛鴦代說了個，下便該劉姥姥。劉姥姥道：“我們莊傢人閑了，也常會幾個人弄這個，但不如說的這麽好聽。少不得我也試一試。”衆人都咲道：“容易說的。儞衹管說，不相幹。”鴛鴦咲道：“左邊‘四四’是個人。 "劉姥姥聽了，想了半日，說道：“是個莊傢人罷。”衆人哄堂咲了。賈母咲道：“說的好， 就是這樣說。”劉姥姥也咲道：’我們莊傢人，不過是現成的本色，衆位別咲。”鴛鴦道：“中間‘三四’緑配紅。”劉姥姥道：“大火燒了毛毛蟲。”衆人咲道：“這是有的，還說儞的本色。”鴛鴦道：“右邊‘幺四’眞好看。”劉姥姥道：“一個蘿ス一頭蒜。”衆人又咲了。鴛鴦咲道：“湊成便是一枝花。”劉姥姥兩衹手比着，說道：“花兒落了結個大倭瓜。”衆人大咲起來。衹聽外面亂嚷——
The venerable lady Shih attends a second banquet in the garden of Broad Vista. Chin Yuean-yang three times promulgates, by means of dominoes, the order to quote passages from old writers.
As soon as Pao-yue, we will now explain, heard what the lad told him, he rushed with eagerness inside. When he came to look about him, he discovered Hu Po standing in front of the screen. "Be quick and go," she urged. "They're waiting to speak to you."
Pao-yue wended his way into the drawing rooms. Here he found dowager lady Chia, consulting with Madame Wang and the whole body of young ladies, about the return feast to be given to Shih Hsiang-yuen.
"I've got a plan to suggest," he consequently interposed. "As there are to be no outside guests, the eatables too should not be limited to any kind or number. A few of such dishes, as have ever been to the liking of any of us, should be fixed upon and prepared for the occasion. Neither should any banquet be spread, but a high teapoy can be placed in front of each, with one or two things to suit our particular tastes. Besides, a painted box with partitions and a decanter. Won't this be an original way?"
"Capital!" shouted old lady Chia. "Go and tell the people in the cook house," she forthwith ordered a servant, "to get ready to-morrow such dishes as we relish, and to put them in as many boxes as there will be people, and bring them over. We can have breakfast too in the garden."
But while they were deliberating, the time came to light the lamps. Nothing of any note transpired the whole night. The next day, they got up at early dawn. The weather, fortunately, was beautifully clear. Li Wan turned out of bed at daybreak. She was engaged in watching the old matrons and servant-girls sweeping the fallen leaves, rubbing the tables and chairs, and preparing the tea and wine vessels, when she perceived Feng Erh usher in old goody Liu and Pan Erh. "You're very busy, our senior lady!" they said.
"I told you that you wouldn't manage to start yesterday," Li Wan smiled, "but you were in a hurry to get away."
"Your worthy old lady," goody Liu replied laughingly, "wouldn't let me go. She wanted me to enjoy myself too for a day before I went."
Feng Erh then produced several large and small keys. "Our mistress Lien says," she remarked, "that she fears that the high teapoys which are out are not enough, and she thinks it would be as well to open the loft and take out those that are put away and use them for a day. Our lady should really have come and seen to it in person, but as she has something to tell Madame Wang, she begs your ladyship to open the place, and get a few servants to bring them out."
Li Wan there and then told Su Yuen to take the keys. She also bade a matron go out and call a few servant-boys from those on duty at the second gate. When they came, Li Wan remained in the lower story of the Ta Kuan loft, and looking up, she ordered the servants to go and open the Cho Chin hall and to bring the teapoys one by one. The young servant-lads, matrons and servant-maids then set to work, in a body, and carried down over twenty of them.
"Be careful with them," shouted Li Wan. "Don't be bustling about just as if you were being pursued by ghosts! Mind you don't break the tenons!" Turning her head round, "old dame," she observed, addressing herself smilingly to goody Liu, "go upstairs too and have a look!"
Old goody Liu was longing to satisfy her curiosity, so at the bare mention of the permission, she uttered just one word ("come") and, dragging Pan Erh along, she trudged up the stairs. On her arrival inside, she espied, pile upon pile, a whole heap of screens, tables and chairs, painted lanterns of different sizes, and other similar articles. She could not, it is true, make out the use of the various things, but, at the sight of so many colours, of such finery and of the unusual beauty of each article, she muttered time after time the name of Buddha, and then forthwith wended her way downstairs. Subsequently (the servants) locked the doors and every one of them came down.
"I fancy," cried Li Wan, "that our dowager lady will feel disposed (to go on the water), so you'd better also get the poles, oars and awnings for the boats and keep them in readiness."
The servants expressed their obedience. Once more they unlocked the doors, and carried down everything required. She then bade a lad notify the boatwomen go to the dock and punt out two boats. But while all this bustle was going on, they discovered that dowager lady Chia had already arrived at the head of a whole company of people. Li Wan promptly went up to greet them.
"Dear venerable senior," she smiled, "you must be in good spirits to have come in here! Imagining that you hadn't as yet combed your hair, I just plucked a few chrysanthemums, meaning to send them to you."
While she spoke, Pi Yueeh at once presented to her a jadite tray, of the size of a lotus leaf, containing twigs cut from every species of chrysanthemum. Old lady Chia selected a cluster of deep red and pinned it in her hair about her temples. But turning round, she noticed old goody Liu. "Come over here," she vehemently cried with a smile; "and put on a few flowers."
Scarcely was this remark concluded, than lady Feng dragged goody Liu forward. "Let me deck you up!" she laughed. With these words, she seized a whole plateful of flowers and stuck them three this way, four that way, all over her head. Old lady Chia, and the whole party were greatly amused; so much so, that they could not check themselves.
"I wonder," shouted goody Liu smiling, "what blessings I have brought upon my head that such honours are conferred upon it to-day!"
"Don't you yet pull them away," they all laughed, "and chuck them in her face! She has got you up in such a way as to make a regular old elf of you!"
"I'm an old hag, I admit," goody Liu pursued with a laugh; "but when I was young, I too was pretty and fond of flowers and powder! But the best thing I can do now is to keep to such fineries as befit my advanced age!"
While they bandied words, they reached the Hsin Fang pavilion. The waiting maids brought a large embroidered rug and spread it over the planks of the divan near the balustrade. On this rug dowager lady Chia sat, with her back leaning against the railing; and, inviting goody Liu to also take a seat next to her, "Is this garden nice or not?" she asked her.
Old goody Liu invoked Buddha several times. "We country-people," she rejoined, "do invariably come, at the close of each year, into the city and buy pictures and stick them about. And frequently do we find ourselves in our leisure moments wondering how we too could manage to get into the pictures, and walk about the scenes they represent. I presumed that those pictures were purely and simply fictitious, for how could there be any such places in reality? But, contrary to my expectations, I found, as soon as I entered this garden to-day and had a look about it, that it was, after all, a hundred times better than these very pictures. But if only I could get some one to make me a sketch of this garden, to take home with me and let them see it, so that when we die we may have reaped some benefit!"
Upon catching the wish she expressed, dowager lady Chia pointed at Hsi Ch'un. "Look at that young granddaughter of mine!" she smiled. "She's got the knack of drawing. So what do you say to my asking her to-morrow to make a picture for you?"
This suggestion filled goody Liu with enthusiasm and speedily crossing over, she clasped Hsi Ch'un in her arms. "My dear Miss!" she cried, "so young in years, and yet so pretty, and so accomplished too! Mightn't you be a spirit come to life!"
After old lady Chia had had a little rest, she in person took goody Liu and showed her everything there was to be seen. First, they visited the Hsiao Hsiang lodge. The moment they stepped into the entrance, a narrow avenue, flanked on either side with kingfisher-like green bamboos, met their gaze. The earth below was turfed all over with moss. In the centre, extended a tortuous road, paved with pebbles. Goody Liu left dowager lady Chia and the party walk on the raised road, while she herself stepped on the earth. But Hu Po tugged at her. "Come up, old dame, and walk here!" she exclaimed. "Mind the fresh moss is slippery and you might fall."
"I don't mind it!" answered goody Liu. "We people are accustomed to walking (on such slippery things)! So, young ladies, please proceed. And do look after your embroidered shoes! Don't splash them with mud."
But while bent upon talking with those who kept on the raised road, she unawares reached a spot, which was actually slippery, and with a sound of "ku tang" she tumbled over.
The whole company clapped their hands and laughed boisterously.
"You young wenches," shouted out dowager lady Chia, "don't you yet raise her up, but stand by giggling?"
This reprimand was still being uttered when goody Liu had already crawled up. She too was highly amused. "Just as my mouth was bragging," she observed, "I got a whack on the lips!"
"Have you perchance twisted your waist?" inquired old lady Chia. "Tell the servant-girls to pat it for you!"
"What an idea!" retorted goody Liu, "am I so delicate? What day ever goes by without my tumbling down a couple of times? And if I had to be patted every time wouldn't it be dreadful!"
Tzu Chuan had at an early period raised the speckled bamboo portiere. Dowager lady Chia and her companions entered and seated themselves. Lin Tai-yue with her own hands took a small tray and came to present a covered cup of tea to her grandmother.
"We won't have any tea!" Madame Wang interposed, "so, miss, you needn't pour any."
Lin Tai-yue, hearing this, bade a waiting-maid fetch the chair from under the window where she herself often sat, and moving it to the lower side, she pressed Madame Wang into it. But goody Liu caught sight of the pencils and inkslabs, lying on the table placed next to the window, and espied the bookcase piled up to the utmost with books. "This must surely," the old dame ejaculated, "be some young gentleman's study!"
"This is the room of this granddaughter-in-law of mine," dowager lady Chia explained, smilingly pointing to Tai-yue.
Goody Liu scrutinised Lin Tai-yue with intentness for a while. "Is this anything like a young lady's private room?" she then observed with a smile. "Why, in very deed, it's superior to any first class library!"
"How is it I don't see Pao-yue?" his grandmother Chia went on to inquire.
"He's in the boat, on the pond," the waiting-maids, with one voice, returned for answer.
"Who also got the boats ready?" old lady Chia asked.
"The loft was open just now so they were taken out," Li Wan said, "and as I thought that you might, venerable senior, feel inclined to have a row, I got everything ready."
After listening to this explanation, dowager lady Chia was about to pass some remark, but some one came and reported to her that Mrs. Hsueeh had arrived. No sooner had old lady Chia and the others sprung to their feet than they noticed that Mrs. Hsueeh had already made her appearance. While taking a seat: "Your venerable ladyship," she smiled, "must be in capital spirits to-day to have come at this early hour!"
"It's only this very minute that I proposed that any one who came late, should be fined," dowager lady Chia laughed, "and, who'd have thought it, here you, Mrs. Hsueeh, arrive late!"
After they had indulged in good-humoured raillery for a time, old lady Chia's attention was attracted by the faded colour of the gauze on the windows, and she addressed herself to Madame Wang. "This gauze," she said, "may have been nice enough when it was newly pasted, but after a time nothing remained of kingfisher green. In this court too there are no peach or apricot trees and these bamboos already are green in themselves, so were this shade of green gauze to be put up again, it would, instead of improving matters, not harmonise with the surroundings. I remember that we had at one time four or five kinds of coloured gauzes for sticking on windows, so give her some to-morrow to change that on there."
"When I opened the store yesterday," hastily put in Lady Feng, "I noticed that there were still in those boxes, made of large planks, several rolls of 'cicada wing' gauze of silvery red colour. There were also several rolls with designs of twigs of flowers of every kind, several with 'the rolling clouds and bats' pattern, and several with figures representing hundreds of butterflies, interspersed among flowers. The colours of all these were fresh, and the gauze supple. But I failed to see anything of the kind you speak of. Were two rolls taken (from those I referred to), and a couple of bed-covers of embroidered gauze made out of them, they would, I fancy, be a pretty sight!"
"Pshaw!" laughed old lady Chia, "every one says that there's nothing you haven't gone through and nothing you haven't seen, and don't you even know what this gauze is? Will you again brag by and bye, after this?"
Mrs. Hsueeh and all the others smiled. "She may have gone through a good deal," they remarked, "but how can she ever presume to pit herself against an old lady like you? So why don't you, venerable senior, tell her what it is so that we too may be edified."
Lady Feng too gave a smile. "My dear ancestor," she pleaded, "do tell me what it is like."
Dowager lady Chia thereupon proceeded to enlighten Mrs. Hsueeh and the whole company. "That gauze is older in years than any one of you," she said. "It isn't therefore to be wondered, if you make a mistake and take it for 'cicada wing' gauze. But it really bears some resemblance to it; so much so, indeed, that any one, not knowing the difference, would imagine it to be the 'cicada wing' gauze. Its true name, however, is 'soft smoke' silk."
"This is also a nice sounding name," lady Feng agreed. "But up to the age I've reached, I have never heard of any such designation, in spite of the many hundreds of specimens of gauzes and silks, I've seen."
"How long can you have lived?" old lady Chia added smilingly, "and how many kinds of things can you have met, that you indulge in this tall talk? Of this 'soft smoke' silk, there only exist four kinds of colours. The one is red-blue; the other is russet; the other pine-green; the other silvery-red; and it's because, when made into curtains or stuck on window-frames, it looks from far like smoke or mist, that it is called 'soft smoke' silk. The silvery-red is also called 'russet shadow' gauze. Among the gauzes used in the present day, in the palace above, there are none so supple and rich, light and closely-woven as this!"
"Not to speak of that girl Feng not having seen it," Mrs. Hsueeh laughed, "why, even I have never so much as heard anything of it."
While the conversation proceeded in this strain, lady Feng soon directed a servant to fetch a roll. "Now isn't this the kind!" dowager lady Chia exclaimed. "At first, we simply had it stuck on the window frames, but we subsequently used it for covers and curtains, just for a trial, and really they were splendid! So you had better to-morrow try and find several rolls, and take some of the silvery-red one and have it fixed on the windows for her."
While lady Feng promised to attend to her commission, the party scrutinised it, and unanimously extolled it with effusion. Old goody Liu too strained her eyes and examined it, and her lips incessantly muttered Buddha's name. "We couldn't," she ventured, "afford to make clothes of such stuff, much though we may long to do so; and won't it be a pity to use it for sticking on windows?"
"But it doesn't, after all, look well, when made into clothes," old lady Chia explained.
Lady Feng hastily pulled out the lapel of the deep-red brocaded gauze jacket she had on, and, facing dowager lady Chia and Mrs. Hsueeh, "Look at this jacket of mine," she remarked.
"This is also of first-rate quality!" old lady Chia and Mrs. Hsueeh rejoined. "This is nowadays made in the palace for imperial use, but it can't possibly come up to this!"
"It's such thin stuff," lady Feng observed, "and do you still say that it was made in the palace for imperial use? Why, it doesn't, in fact, compare favourably with even this, which is worn by officials!"
"You'd better search again!" old lady Chia urged; "I believe there must be more of it! If there be, bring it all out, and give this old relative Liu a couple of rolls! Should there be any red-blue, I'll make a curtain to hang up. What remains can be matched with some lining, and cut into a few double waistcoats for the waiting-maids to wear. It would be sheer waste to keep these things, as they will be spoilt by the damp."
Lady Feng vehemently acquiesced; after which, she told a servant to take the gauze away.
"These rooms are so small!" dowager lady Chia then observed, smiling. "We had better go elsewhere for a stroll."
"Every one says," old goody Liu put in, "that big people live in big houses! When I saw yesterday your main apartments, dowager lady, with all those large boxes, immense presses, big tables, and spacious beds to match, they did, indeed, present an imposing sight! Those presses are larger than our whole house; yea loftier too! But strange to say there were ladders in the back court. 'They don't also,' I thought, 'go up to the house tops to sun things, so what can they keep those ladders in readiness for?' Well, after that, I remembered that they must be required for opening the presses to take out or put in things. And that without those ladders, how could one ever reach that height? But now that I've also seen these small rooms, more luxuriously got up than the large ones, and full of various articles, all so fascinating and hardly even known to me by name, I feel, the more I feast my eyes on them, the more unable to tear myself away from them."
"There are other things still better than this," lady Feng added. "I'll take you to see them all!"
Saying this, they straightway left the Hsiao Hsiang lodge. From a distance, they spied a whole crowd of people punting the boats in the lake.
"As they've got the boats ready," old lady Chia proposed, "we may as well go and have a row in them!"
As she uttered this suggestion, they wended their steps along the persicary-covered bank of the Purple Lily Isle. But before reaching the lake, they perceived several matrons advancing that way with large multi-coloured boxes in their hands, made all alike of twisted wire and inlaid with gold. Lady Feng hastened to inquire of Madame Wang where breakfast was to be served.
"Ask our venerable senior," Madame Wang replied, "and let them lay it wherever she pleases."
Old lady Chia overheard her answer, and turning her head round: "Miss Tertia," she said, "take the servants, and make them lay breakfast wherever you think best! We'll get into the boats from here."
Upon catching her senior's wishes, lady Feng retraced her footsteps, and accompanied by Li Wan, T'an Ch'un, Yuean Yang and Hu Po, she led off the servants, carrying the eatables, and other domestics, and came by the nearest way, to the Ch'iu Shuang library, where they arranged the tables in the Hsiao Ts'ui hall.
"We daily say that whenever the gentlemen outside have anything to drink or eat, they invariably have some one who can raise a laugh and whom they can chaff for fun's sake," Yuan Yang smiled, "so let's also to-day get a female family-companion."
Li Wan, being a person full of kindly feelings, did not fathom the insinuation, though it did not escape her ear. Lady Feng, however, thoroughly understood that she alluded to old goody Liu. "Let us too to-day," she smilingly remarked, "chaff her for a bit of fun!"
These two then began to mature their plans.
Li Wan chided them with a smile. "You people," she said, "don't know even how to perform the least good act! But you're not small children any more, and are you still up to these pranks? Mind, our venerable ancestor might call you to task!"
"That has nothing whatever to do with you, senior lady," Yuean Yang laughed, "it's my own look out!"
These words were still on her lips, when she saw dowager lady Chia and the rest of the company arrive. They each sat where and how they pleased. First and foremost, a waiting-maid brought two trays of tea. After tea, lady Feng laid hold of a napkin, made of foreign cloth, in which were wrapped a handful of blackwood chopsticks, encircled with three rings, of inlaid silver, and distributed them on the tables, in the order in which they were placed.
"Bring that small hard-wood table over," old lady Chia then exclaimed; "and let our relative Liu sit next to me here!"
No sooner did the servants hear her order than they hurried to move the table to where she wanted it. Lady Feng, during this interval, made a sign with her eye to Yuean Yang. Yuean Yang there and then dragged goody Liu out of the hall and began to impress in a low tone of voice various things on her mind. "This is the custom which prevails in our household," she proceeded, "and if you disregard it we'll have a laugh at your expense!"
Having arranged everything she had in view, they at length returned to their places. Mrs. Hsueeh had come over, after her meal, so she simply seated herself on one side and sipped her tea. Dowager lady Chia with Pao-yue, Hsiang-yuen, Tai-yue and Pao-ch'ai sat at one table. Madame Wang took the girls, Ying Ch'un, and her sisters, and occupied one table. Old goody Liu took a seat at a table next to dowager lady Chia. Heretofore, while their old mistress had her repast, a young servant-maid usually stood by her to hold the finger bowl, yak-brush, napkin and other such necessaries, but Yuean Yang did not of late fulfil any of these duties, so when, on this occasion, she deliberately seized the yak-brush and came over and flapped it about, the servant-girls concluded that she was bent upon playing some tricks upon goody Liu, and they readily withdrew and let her have her way.
While Yuean Yang attended to her self-imposed duties, she winked at the old dame.
"Miss," goody Liu exclaimed, "set your mind at ease!" Goody Liu sat down at the table and took up the chopsticks, but so heavy and clumsy did she find them that she could not handle them conveniently. The fact is that lady Feng and Yuean Yang had put their heads together and decided to only assign to goody Liu a pair of antiquated four-cornered ivory chopsticks, inlaid with gold.
"These forks," shouted goody Liu, after scrutinising them, "are heavier than the very iron-lever over at my place. How ever can I move them about?"
This remark had the effect of making every one explode into a fit of laughter. But a married woman standing in the centre of the room, with a box in her hands, attracted their gaze. A waiting-maid went up to her and removed the cover of the box. Its contents were two bowls of eatables. Li Wan took one of these and placed it on dowager lady Chia's table, while lady Feng chose the bowl with pigeon's eggs and put it on goody Liu's table.
"Please (commence)," Dowager lady Chia uttered from the near side, where she sat.
Goody Liu at this speedily sprung to her feet. "Old Liu, old Liu," she roared with a loud voice, "your eating capacity is as big as that of a buffalo! You've gorged like an old sow and can't raise your head up!" Then puffing out her cheeks, she added not a word.
The whole party was at first taken quite aback. But, as soon as they heard the drift of her remarks, every one, both high as well as low, began to laugh boisterously. Hsiang-yuen found it so difficult to restrain herself that she spurted out the tea she had in her mouth. Lin Tai-yue indulged in such laughter that she was quite out of breath, and propping herself up on the table, she kept on ejaculating 'Ai-yo.' Pao-yue rolled into his grandmother's lap. The old lady herself was so amused that she clasped Pao-yue in her embrace, and gave way to endearing epithets. Madame Wang laughed, and pointed at lady Feng with her finger; but as for saying a word, she could not. Mrs. Hsueeh had much difficulty in curbing her mirth, and she sputtered the tea, with which her mouth was full, all over T'an Ch'un's petticoat. T'an Ch'un threw the contents of the teacup, she held in her hand, over Ying Ch'un; while Hsi Ch'un quitted her seat, and, pulling her nurse away, bade her rub her stomach for her.
Below, among the lower seats, there was not one who was not with bent waist and doubled-up back. Some retired to a corner and, squatting down, laughed away. Others suppressed their laughter and came up and changed the clothes of their young mistresses. Lady Feng and Yuan Yang were the only ones, who kept their countenance. Still they continued helping old goody Liu to food.
Old goody Liu took up the chopsticks. "Even the chickens in this place are fine," she went on to add, pretending, she did not hear what was going on; "the eggs they lay are small, but so dainty! How very pretty they are! Let me help myself to one!"
The company had just managed to check themselves, but, the moment these words fell on their ears, they started again with their laughter. Old lady Chia laughed to such an extent that tears streamed from her eyes. And so little could she bear the strain any longer that Hu Po stood behind her and patted her.
"This must be the work of that vixen Feng!" old lady Chia laughed. "She has ever been up to tricks like a very imp, so be quick and disbelieve all her yarns!"
Goody Liu was in the act of praising the eggs as small yet dainty, when lady Feng interposed with a smile. "They're one tael each, be quick, and taste them;" she said; "they're not nice when they get cold!"
Goody Liu forthwith stretched out the chopsticks with the intent of catching one; but how could she manage to do so? They rolled and rolled in the bowl for ever so long; and, it was only after extreme difficulty that she succeeded in shoving one up. Extending her neck forward, she was about to put it in her mouth, when it slipped down again, and rolled on to the floor. She hastily banged down the chopsticks, and was going herself to pick it up, when a servant, who stood below, got hold of it and took it out of the room.
Old goody Liu heaved a sigh. "A tael!" she soliloquised, "and here it goes without a sound!"
Every one had long ago abandoned all idea of eating, and, gazing at her, they enjoyed the fun.
"Who has now brought out these chopsticks again?" old lady Chia went on to ask. "We haven't invited any strangers or spread any large banquet! It must be that vixen Feng who gave them out! But don't you yet change them!"
The servants, standing on the floor below, had indeed had no hand in getting those ivory chopsticks; they had, in fact, been brought by lady Feng and Yuean Yang; but when they heard these remarks, they hurried to put them away and to change them for a pair similar to those used by the others, made of blackwood inlaid with silver.
"They've taken away the gold ones," old goody Liu shouted, "and here come silver ones! But, after all, they're not as handy as those we use!"
"Should there be any poison in the viands," lady Feng observed, "you can detect it, as soon as this silver is dipped into them!"
"If there's poison in such viands as these," old goody Liu added, "why those of ours must be all arsenic! But though it be the death of me, I'll swallow every morsel!"
Seeing how amusing the old woman was and with what relish she devoured her food, dowager lady Chia took her own dishes and passed them over to her.
She then likewise bade an old matron take various viands and put them in a bowl for Pan Erh. But presently, the repast was concluded, and old lady Chia and all the other inmates adjoined into T'an Ch'un's bedroom for a chat.
The remnants were, meanwhile, cleared away, and fresh tables were laid.
Old goody Liu watched Li Wan and lady Feng sit opposite each other and eat. "Putting everything else aside," she sighed, "what most takes my fancy is the way things are done in your mansion. It isn't to be wondered at that the adage has it that: 'propriety originates from great families.'"
"Don't be too touchy," lady Feng hastily smiled, "we all made fun of you just now."
But barely had she done speaking, when Yuean Yang too walked in. "Old goody Liu," she said laughingly, "don't be angry! I tender you my apologies, venerable dame!"
"What are you saying, Miss?" old goody Liu rejoined smiling. "We've coaxed our dowager lady to get a little distraction; and what reason is there to be angry? From the very first moment you spoke to me, I knew at once that it was intended to afford merriment to you all! Had I been angry at heart, I wouldn't have gone so far as to say what I did!"
Yuean Yang then blew up the servants. "Why," she shouted, "don't you pour a cup of tea for the old dame?"
"That sister-in-law," promptly explained old goody Liu, "gave me a cup a little while back. I've had it already. But you, Miss, must also have something to eat."
Lady Feng dragged Yuean Yang into a seat. "Have your meal with us!" she said. "You'll thus save another fuss by and bye."
Yuean Yang readily seated herself. The matrons came up and added to the number of bowls and chopsticks, and the trio went through their meal.
"From all I see," smiled goody Liu, "you people eat just a little and finish. It's lucky you don't feel the pangs of hunger! But it isn't astonishing if a whiff of wind can puff you over!"
"A good many eatables remained over to-day. Where are they all gone to?" Yuean Yang inquired.
"They haven't as yet been apportioned!" the matrons responded. "They're kept in here until they can be given in a lump to them to eat!"
"They can't get through so many things!" Yuean Yang resumed. "You had as well therefore choose two bowls and send them over to that girl P'ing, in your mistress Secundus' rooms."
"She has had her repast long ago." lady Feng put in. "There's no need to give her any!"
"With what she can't eat, herself," Yuean Yang continued, "she can feed the cats."
At these words, a matron lost no time in selecting two sorts of eatables, and, taking the box, she went to take them over.
"Where's Su Yun gone to?" Yuean Yang asked.
"They're all in here having their meal together." Li Wan replied. "What do you want her for again?"
"Well, in that case, never mind," Yuean Yang answered.
"Hsi Jen isn't here," lady Feng observed, "so tell some one to take her a few things!"
Yuan Yang, hearing this, directed a servant to send her also a few eatables. "Have the partition boxes been filled with wine for by and bye?" Yuean Yang went on to ask the matrons.
"They'll be ready, I think, in a little while," a matron explained.
"Hurry them up a bit!" Yuean Yang added.
The matron signified her assent.
Lady Feng and her friends then came into T'an Ch'un's apartments, where they found the ladies chatting and laughing.
T'an Ch'un had ever shown an inclination for plenty of room. Hence that suite of three apartments had never been partitioned. In the centre was placed a large table of rosewood and Ta li marble. On this table, were laid in a heap every kind of copyslips written by persons of note. Several tens of valuable inkslabs and various specimens of tubes and receptacles for pens figured also about; the pens in which were as thickly packed as trees in a forest. On the off side, stood a flower bowl from the 'Ju' kiln, as large as a bushel measure. In it was placed, till it was quite full, a bunch of white chrysanthemums, in appearance like crystal balls. In the middle of the west wall, was suspended a large picture representing vapor and rain; the handiwork of Mi Nang-yang. On the left and right of this picture was hung a pair of antithetical scrolls--the autograph of Yen Lue. The lines on these scrolls were:
Wild scenes are to the taste of those who leisure love, And springs and rookeries are their rustic resort.
On the table, figured a large tripod. On the left, stood on a blackwood cabinet, a huge bowl from a renowned government kiln. This bowl contained about ten "Buddha's hands" of beautiful yellow and fine proportions. On the right, was suspended, on a Japanese-lacquered frame, a white jade sonorous plate. Its shape resembled two eyes, one by the side of the other. Next to it hung a small hammer.
Pan Erh had become a little more confident and was about to seize the hammer and beat the plate, when the waiting-maids hastened to prevent him. Next, he wanted a "Buddha's hand" to eat. T'an Ch'un chose one and let him have it. "You may play with it," she said, "but you can't eat it."
On the east side stood a sleeping divan. On a movable bed was hung a leek-green gauze curtain, ornamented with double embroideries, representing flowers, plants and insects. Pan Erh ran up to have a look. "This is a green-cicada," he shouted; "this a grasshopper!"
But old goody Liu promptly gave him a slap. "You mean scamp!" she cried. "What an awful rumpus you're kicking up! I simply brought you along with me to look at things; and lo, you put on airs;" and she beat Pan Erh until he burst out crying. It was only after every one quickly combined in using their efforts to solace him that he at length desisted.
Old lady Chia then looked through the gauze casement into the back court for some time. "The dryandra trees by the eaves of the covered passage are growing all right," she remarked. "The only thing is that their foliage is rather sparse."
But while she passed this remark, a sudden gust of wind swept by, and faintly on her ear fell the strains of music. "In whose house is there a wedding?" old lady Chia inquired. "This place must be very near the street!"
"How could one hear what's going on in the street?" Madame Wang and the others smiled. "It's our twelve girls practising on their wind and string instruments!"
"As they're practising," dowager lady Chia eagerly cried, smilingly, "why not ask them to come in here and practise? They'll be able to have a stroll also, while we, on our part, will derive some enjoyment."
Upon hearing this suggestion, lady Feng immediately directed a servant to go out and call them in. She further issued orders to bring a table and spread a red cover over it.
"Let it be put," old lady Chia chimed in, "in the water-pavilion of the Lotus Fragrance Arbour, for (the music) will borrow the ripple of the stream and sound ever so much more pleasant to the ear. We can by and bye drink our wine in the Cho Chin Hall; we'll thus have ample room, and be able to listen from close!"
Every one admitted that the spot was well adapted. Dowager lady Chia turned herself towards Mrs. Hsueeh. "Let's get ahead!" she laughed. "The young ladies don't like any one to come in here, for fear lest their quarters should get contaminated; so don't let us show ourselves disregardful of their wishes! The right thing would be to go and have our wine aboard one of those boats!"
As she spoke, one and all rose to their feet. They were making their way out when T'an Ch'un interposed. "What's this that you're saying?" she smiled. "Please do seat yourselves, venerable senior, and you, Mrs. Hsueeh, and Madame Wang! You can't be going yet?"
"These three girls of mine are really nice! There are only two mistresses that are simply dreadful." Dowager lady Chia said smilingly. "When we get drunk shortly, we'll go and sit in their rooms and have a lark!"
These words evoked laughter from every one. In a body they quitted the place. But they had not proceeded far before they reached the bank covered with aquatic plants, to which place the boat-women, who had been brought from Ku Su, had already punted two crab-wood boats. Into one of these boats, they helped old lady Chia, Madame Wang, Mrs. Hsueeh, old goody Liu, Yuean Yang, and Yue Ch'uan-Erh. Last in order Li Wan followed on board. But lady Feng too stepped in, and standing up on the bow, she insisted upon punting.
Dowager lady Chia, however, remonstrated from her seat in the bottom of the boat. "This isn't a joke," she cried, "we're not on the river, it's true, but there are some very deep places about, so be quick and come in. Do it for my sake."
"What's there to be afraid of?" lady Feng laughed. "Compose your mind, worthy ancestor."
Saying this, the boat was pushed off with one shove. When it reached the middle of the lake, lady Feng became nervous, for the craft was small and the occupants many, and hastily handing the pole to a boatwoman, she squatted down at last.
Ying Ch'un, her sisters, their cousins, as well as Pao-yue subsequently got on board the second boat, and followed in their track; while the rest of the company, consisting of old nurses and a bevy of waiting-maids, kept pace with them along the bank of the stream.
"All these broken lotus leaves are dreadful!" Pao-yue shouted. "Why don't you yet tell the servants to pull them off?"
"When was this garden left quiet during all the days of this year?" Pao-ch'ai smiled. "Why, people have come, day after day, to visit it, so was there ever any time to tell the servants to come and clean it?"
"I have the greatest abhorrence," Lin Tai-yue chimed in, "for Li I's poetical works, but there's only this line in them which I like:
"'Leave the dry lotus leaves so as to hear the patter of the rain.'
"and here you people deliberately mean again not to leave the dry lotus stay where they are."
"This is indeed a fine line!" Pao-yue exclaimed. "We mustn't hereafter let them pull them away!"
While this conversation continued, they reached the shoaly inlet under the flower-laden beech. They felt a coolness from the shady overgrowth penetrate their very bones. The decaying vegetation and the withered aquatic chestnut plants on the sand-bank enhanced, to a greater degree, the beauty of the autumn scenery.
Dowager lady Chia at this point observed some spotless rooms on the bank, so spick and so span. "Are not these Miss Hsueeh's quarters," she asked. "Eh?"
"Yes, they are!" everybody answered.
Old lady Chia promptly bade them go alongside, and wending their way up the marble steps, which seemed to lead to the clouds, they in a body entered the Heng Wu court. Here they felt a peculiar perfume come wafting into their nostrils, for the colder the season got the greener grew that strange vegetation, and those fairy-like creepers. The various plants were laden with seeds, which closely resembled red coral beans, as they drooped in lovely clusters.
The house, as soon as they put their foot into it, presented the aspect of a snow cave. There was a total absence of every object of ornament. On the table figured merely an earthenware vase, in which were placed several chrysanthemums. A few books and teacups were also conspicuous, but no further knicknacks. On the bed was suspended a green gauze curtain, and of equally extreme plainness were the coverlets and mattresses belonging to it.
"This child," dowager lady Chia sighed, "is too simple! If you've got nothing to lay about, why not ask your aunt for a few articles? I would never raise any objection. I never thought about them. Your things, of course, have been left at home, and have not been brought over."
So saying, she told Yuan Yang to go and fetch several bric-a-brac. She next went on to call lady Feng to task.
"She herself wouldn't have them," (lady Feng) rejoined. "We really sent over a few, but she refused every one of them and returned them."
"In her home also," smiled Mrs. Hsueeh, "she does not go in very much for such sort of things."
Old lady Chia nodded her head. "It will never do!" she added. "It does, it's true, save trouble; but were some relative to come on a visit, she'll find things in an impossible way. In the second place, such simplicity in the apartments of young ladies of tender age is quite unpropitious! Why, if you young people go on in this way, we old fogies should go further and live in stables! You've all heard what is said in those books and plays about the dreadful luxury, with which young ladies' quarters are got up. And though these girls of ours could not presume to place themselves on the same footing as those young ladies, they shouldn't nevertheless exceed too much the bounds of what constitutes the right thing. If they have any objects ready at hand, why shouldn't they lay them out? And if they have any strong predilection for simplicity, a few things less will do quite as well. I've always had the greatest knack for titifying a room, but being an old woman now I haven't the ease and inclination to attend to such things! These girls are, however, learning how to do things very nicely. I was afraid that there would be an appearance of vulgarity in what they did, and that, even had they anything worth having, they'd so place them about as to spoil them; but from what I can see there's nothing vulgar about them. But let me now put things right for you, and I'll wager that everything will look grand as well as plain. I've got a couple of my own knicknacks, which I've managed to keep to this day, by not allowing Pao-yue to get a glimpse of them; for had he ever seen them, they too would have long ago disappeared!" Continuing, she called Yuean Yang. "Fetch that marble pot with scenery on it," she said to her; "that gauze screen, and that tripod of transparent stone with black streaks, which you'll find in there, and lay out all three on this table. They'll be ample! Bring likewise those ink pictures and white silk curtains, and change these curtains."
Yuean Yang expressed her obedience. "All these articles have been put away in the eastern loft," she smiled. "In what boxes they've been put, I couldn't tell; I must therefore go and find them quietly and if I bring them over to-morrow, it will be time enough."
"To-morrow or the day after will do very well; but don't forget, that's all," dowager lady Chia urged.
While conversing, they sat for a while. Presently, they left the rooms and repaired straightway into the Cho Chin hall. Wen Kuan and the other girls came up and paid their obeisance. They next inquired what songs they were to practise.
"You'd better choose a few pieces to rehearse out of those you know best," old lady Chia rejoined.
Wen Kuan and her companions then withdrew and betook themselves to the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion. But we will leave them there without further allusion to them.
During this while, lady Feng had already, with the help of servants, got everything in perfect order. On the left and right of the side of honour were placed two divans. These divans were completely covered with embroidered covers and fine variegated mats. In front of each divan stood two lacquer teapoys, inlaid, some with designs of crab-apple flowers; others of plum blossom, some of lotus leaves, others of sun-flowers. Some of these teapoys were square, others round. Their shapes were all different. On each was placed a set consisting of a stove and a bottle, also a box with partitions. The two divans and four teapoys, in the place of honour, were used by dowager lady Chia and Mrs. Hsueeh. The chair and two teapoys in the next best place, by Madame Wang. The rest of the inmates had, all alike, a chair and a teapoy. On the east side sat old goody Liu. Below old goody Liu came Madame Wang. On the west was seated Shih Hsiang-yuen. The second place was occupied by Pao-ch'ai; the third by Tai-yue; the fourth by Ying Ch'un. T'an Ch'un and Hsi Ch'un filled the lower seats, in their proper order; Pao-yue sat in the last place. The two teapoys assigned to Li Wan and lady Feng stood within the third line of railings, and beyond the second row of gauze frames. The pattern of the partition-boxes corresponded likewise with the pattern on the teapoys. Each inmate had a black decanter, with silver, inlaid in foreign designs; as well as an ornamented, enamelled cup.
After they had all occupied the seats assigned to them, dowager lady Chia took the initiative and smilingly suggested: "Let's begin by drinking a couple of cups of wine. But we should also have a game of forfeits to-day, we'll have plenty of fun then."
"You, venerable senior, must certainly have a good wine order to impose," Mrs. Hsueeh laughingly observed, "but how could we ever comply with it? But if your aim be to intoxicate us, why, we'll all straightway drink one or two cups more than is good for us and finish!"
"Here's Mrs. Hsueeh beginning to be modest again to-day!" old lady Chia smiled. "But I expect it's because she looks down upon me as being an old hag!"
"It isn't modesty!" Mrs. Hsueeh replied smiling. "It's all a dread lest I shouldn't be able to observe the order and thus incur ridicule."
"If you don't give the right answer," Madame Wang promptly interposed with a smile, "you'll only have to drink a cup or two more of wine, and should we get drunk, we can go to sleep; and who'll, pray laugh at us?"
Mrs. Hsueeh nodded her head. "I'll agree to the order," she laughed, "but, dear senior, you must, after all, do the right thing and have a cup of wine to start it."
"This is quite natural!" old lady Chia answered laughingly; and with these words, she forthwith emptied a cup.
Lady Feng with hurried steps advanced to the centre of the room. "If we are to play at forfeits," she smilingly proposed, "we'd better invite sister Yuean Yang to come and join us."
The whole company was perfectly aware that if dowager lady Chia had to give out the rule of forfeits, Yuean Yang would necessarily have to suggest it, so the moment they heard the proposal they, with common consent, approved it as excellent. Lady Feng therefore there and then dragged Yuean Yang over.
"As you're to take a part in the game of forfeits," Madame Wang smilingly observed, "there's no reason why you should stand up." And turning her head round, "Bring over," she bade a young waiting-maid, "a chair and place it at your Mistress Secunda's table."
Yuean Yang, half refusing and half assenting, expressed her thanks, and took the seat. After partaking also of a cup of wine, "Drinking rules," she smiled, "resemble very much martial law; so irrespective of high or low, I alone will preside. Any one therefore who disobeys my words will have to suffer a penalty."
"Of course, it should be so!" Madame Wang and the others laughed, "so be quick and give out the rule!"
But before Yuean Yang had as yet opened her lips to speak, old goody Liu left the table, and waving her hand: "Don't," she said, "make fun of people in this way, for I'll go home."
"This will never do!" One and all smilingly protested.
Yuean Yang shouted to the young waiting-maids to drag her back to her table; and the maids, while also indulging in laughter, actually pulled her and compelled her to rejoin the banquet.
"Spare me!" old goody Liu kept on crying, "spare me!"
"Any one who says one word more," Yuean Yang exclaimed, "will be fined a whole decanter full."
Old goody Liu then at length observed silence.
"I'll now give out the set of dominoes." Yuean Yang proceeded. "I'll begin from our venerable mistress and follow down in proper order until I come to old goody Liu, when I shall stop. So as to illustrate what I meant just now by giving out a set, I'll take these three dominoes and place them apart; you have to begin by saying something on the first, next, to allude to the second, and, after finishing with all three, to take the name of the whole set and match it with a line, no matter whether it be from some stanza or roundelay, song or idyl, set phrases or proverbs. But they must rhyme. And any one making a mistake will be mulcted in one cup."
"This rule is splendid; begin at once!" they all exclaimed.
"I've got a set," Yuean Yang pursued; "on the left, is the piece 'heaven,' (twelve dots)."
"Above head stretches the blue heaven,"
dowager lady Chia said.
"Good!" shouted every one.
"In the centre is a five and six," Yuean Yang resumed.
The fragrance of the plum blossom pierces the bones on the bridge "Six,"
old lady Chia added.
"There now remains," Yuean Yang explained, "one piece, the six and one."
"From among the fleecy clouds issues the wheel-like russet sun."
dowager lady Chia continued.
"The whole combined," Yuan Yang observed "forms 'the devil with dishevelled hair.'"
"This devil clasps the leg of the 'Chung Pa' devil,"
old lady Chia observed.
At the conclusion of her recitation, they all burst out laughing. "Capital!" they shouted. Old lady Chia drained a cup. Yuean Yang then went on to remark, "I've got another set; the one on the left is a double five."
"Bud after bud of the plum bloom dances in the wind,"
Mrs. Hsueeh replied.
"The one on the right is a ten spot," Yuean Yang pursued.
"In the tenth moon the plum bloom on the hills emits its fragrant smell,"
Mrs. Hsueeh added.
"The middle piece is the two and five, making the 'unlike seven;'" Yuean Yang observed.
"The 'spinning damsel' star meets the 'cow-herd' on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh moon,"
Miss Hsueeh said.
"Together they form: 'Erh Lang strolls on the five mounds;'" Yuean Yang continued.
"Mortals cannot be happy as immortals,"
Mrs. Hsueeh rejoined.
Her answers over, the whole company extolled them and had a drink. "I've got another set!" Yuean Yang once more exclaimed. "On the left, are distinctly the distant dots of the double ace."
"Both sun and moon are so suspended as to shine on heaven and earth,"
Hsiang-yuen ventured.
"On the right, are a couple of spots, far apart, which clearly form a one and one." Yuean Yang pursued.
"What time a lonesome flower falls to the ground, no sound is audible,"
Hsiang-yuen rejoined.
"In the middle, there is the one and four," Yuean Yang added.
"The red apricot tree is planted by the sun, and leans against the clouds;"
Hsiang-yuen answered.
"Together they form the 'cherry fruit ripens for the ninth time,'" Yuean Yang said.
"In the imperial garden it is pecked by birds."
Hsiang-yuen replied.
When she had done with her part, she drank a cup of wine. "I've got another set," Yuean Yang began, "the one on the left is a double three."
"The swallows, pair by pair, chatter on the beams;"
Pao-ch'ai remarked.
"The right piece is a six," Yuean Yang added.
"The marsh flower is stretched by the breeze e'en to the length of a green sash,"
Pao-ch'ai returned.
"The centre piece is a three and six, making a nine spot," Yuean Yang pursued.
"The three hills tower half beyond the azure skies;"
Pao-ch'ai rejoined.
"Lumped together they form: a 'chain-bound solitary boat,'" Yuean Yang resumed.
"Where there are wind and waves, there I feel sad;"
Pao-ch'ai answered.
When she had finished her turn and drained her cup, Yuean Yang went on again. "On the left," she said, "there's a 'heaven.'"
"A morning fine and beauteous scenery, but, alas, what a day for me!"
Tai-yue replied.
When this line fell on Pao-chai's ear, she turned her head round and cast a glance at her, but Tai-yue was so nervous lest she should have to pay a forfeit that she did not so much as notice her.
"In the middle there's the 'colour of the embroidered screen, (ten spots, four and six), is beautiful,'" Yuean Yang proceeded.
"Not e'en Hung Niang to the gauze window comes, any message to bring."
Tai-yue responded.
"There now remains a two and six, eight in all," Yuean Yang resumed.
"Twice see the jady throne when led in to perform the court ritual,"
Tai-yue replied.
"Together they form 'a basket suitable for putting plucked flowers in,'" Yuean Yang continued.
"The fairy wand smells nice as on it hangs a peony."
Tai-yue retorted.
At the close of her replies, she took a sip of wine. Yuean Yang then resumed. "On the left," she said, "there's a four and five, making a 'different-combined nine.'"
"The peach blossoms bear heavy drops of rain;"
Ying Ch'un remarked.
The company laughed. "She must be fined!" they exclaimed. "She has made a mistake in the rhyme. Besides, it isn't right!"
Ying Ch'un smiled and drank a sip. The fact is that both lady Feng and Yuean Yang were so eager to hear the funny things that would be uttered by old goody Liu, that they with one voice purposely ruled that every one answered wrong and fined them. When it came to Madame Wang's turn, Yuean Yang recited something for her. Next followed old goody Liu.
"When we country-people have got nothing to do," old goody Liu said, "a few of us too often come together and play this sort of game; but the answers we give are not so high-flown; yet, as I can't get out of it, I'll likewise make a try!"
"It's easy enough to say what there is," one and all laughed, "so just you go on and don't mind!"
"On the left," Yuean Yang smiled, "there's a double four, i.e. 'man.'"
Goody Liu listened intently. After considerable reflection,
"It's a peasant!"
she cried.
One and all in the room blurted out laughing.
"Well-said!" dowager lady Chia observed with a laugh, "that's the way."
"All we country-people know," old goody Liu proceeded, also laughing, "is just what comes within our own rough-and-ready wits, so young ladies and ladies pray don't poke fun at me!"
"In the centre there's the three and four, green matched with red," Yuean Yang pursued.
"The large fire burnt the hairy caterpillar;"
old goody Liu ventured.
"This will do very well!", the party laughed, "go on with what is in your line."
"On the right," Yuean Yang smilingly continued, "there's a one and four, and is really pretty."
"A turnip and a head of garlic."
old goody Liu answered.
This reply evoked further laughter from the whole company.
"Altogether, it's a twig of flowers," Yuean Yang added laughing.
"The flower dropped, and a huge melon formed."
old goody Liu observed, while gesticulating with both her hands by way of illustration.
The party once more exploded in loud merriment.
But, reader, if you entertain any curiosity to hear what else was said during the banquet, listen to the explanation given in the next chapter.
请欣赏:
请给我换一个看看！ 拜托，快把噪音停掉！我读累了，想听点音乐或者请来支歌曲！
【选集】紅樓一春夢 |
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