中国经典 》 hóng lóu mèng A Dream of Red Mansions 》
dì sì shí sì huí biàn shēng bù cè fèng jiě pō cù xǐ chū wàng wài píng 'ér lǐ zhuāng CHAPTER XLIV.
cáo xuě qín Cao Xueqin
gāo 'ě Gao E
CHAPTER XLIV.
huà shuō zhòng rén kàn yǎn《 jīng chāi jì》， bǎo yù hé jiě mèi yī chù zuò zhe。 lín dài yù yīn kàn dào《 nán jì》 zhè yī chū shàng， biàn hé bǎo chāi shuō dào： “ zhè wáng shí péng yě bù tōng de hěn， bù guǎn zài nà lǐ jì yī jì bà liǎo， bì dìng páo dào jiāng biān zǐ shàng lái zuò shénme！ sú yǔ shuō， ‘ dǔ wù sī rén ’， tiān xià de shuǐ zǒng guī yī yuán， bù jū nà lǐ de shuǐ yǎo yī wǎn kàn zhe kū qù， yě jiù jìn qíng liǎo。 ” bǎo chāi bù dá。 bǎo yù huí tóu yào rè jiǔ jìng fèng jiě 'ér。
yuán lái jiǎ mǔ shuō jīn rì bù bǐ wǎng rì， dìng yào jiào fèng jiě tòng lè yī rì。 běn lái zì jǐ lǎn dài zuò xí， zhǐ zài lǐ jiān wū lǐ tà shàng wāi zhe hé xuē yí mā kàn xì， suí xīn 'ài chī de jiǎn jǐ yàng fàng zài xiǎo jǐ shàng， suí yì chī zhe shuō huà 'ér， jiāng zì jǐ liǎng zhuō xí miàn shǎng nà méi yòu xí miàn de dà xiǎo yā tóu bìng nà yìng chā tīng chā de fù rén děng， mìng tā men zài chuāng wài láng yán xià yě zhǐ guǎn zuò zhe suí yì chī hē， bù bì jū lǐ。 wáng fū rén hé xíng fū rén zài dì xià gāo zhuō shàng zuò zhe， wài miàn jīxí shì tā zǐ mèi men zuò。 jiǎ mǔ bù shí fēn fù yóu shì děng：“ ràng fèng yā tóu zuò zài shàng miàn， nǐ men hǎo shēng tì wǒ dài dōng， nán wéi tā yī nián dào tóu xīn kǔ。 " yóu shì dāyìng liǎo， yòu xiào huí shuō dào：“ tā zuò bù guàn shǒu xí， zuò zài shàng tóu héng bù shì shù bù shì de， jiǔ yě bù kěn chī。” jiǎ mǔ tīng liǎo， xiào dào：“ nǐ bù huì， děng wǒ qīn zì ràng tā qù。” fèng jiě 'ér máng yě jìn lái xiào shuō：“ lǎo zǔ zōng bié xìn tā men de huà， wǒ chī liǎo hǎo jǐ zhōng liǎo。” jiǎ mǔ xiào zhe， mìng yóu shì：“ kuài lā tā chū qù， àn zài yǐ zǐ shàng， nǐ mendōu lún liú jìng tā。 tā zài bù chī， wǒ dàngzhēn de jiù qīn zì qù liǎo。” yóu shì tīng shuō， máng xiào zhe yòu lā tā chū lái zuò xià， mìng rén ná liǎo tái zhǎn zhēn liǎo jiǔ， xiào dào：“ yī nián dào tóu nán wéi nǐ xiào shùn lǎo tài tài， tài tài hé wǒ。 wǒ jīn 'ér méi shí me téng nǐ de， qīn zì zhēn bēi jiǔ， guāi guāi 'ér de zài wǒ shǒu lǐ hē yī kǒu。” fèng jiě 'ér xiào dào：“ nǐ yào 'ān xīn xiào jìng wǒ， guì xià wǒ jiù hē。 " yóu shì xiào dào：“ shuō de nǐ bù zhī shì shuí！ wǒ gào sù nǐ shuō， hǎo róng yì jīn 'ér zhè yī zāo， guò liǎo hòu 'ér， zhī dào hái dé xiàng jīn 'ér zhè yàng bù dé liǎo？ chèn zhe jìn lì guàn sàng liǎng zhōng bà。” fèng jiě 'ér jiàn tuī bù guò， zhǐ dé hē liǎo liǎng zhōng。 jiē zhe zhòng zǐ mèi yě lái， fèng jiě yě zhǐ dé měi rén de hē yī kǒu。 lài dà mā mā jiàn jiǎ mǔ shàng zhè děng gāo xīng， yě shǎo bù dé lái còu qù 'ér， lǐng zhe xiē mó mó men yě lái jìng jiǔ。 fèng jiě 'ér yě nán tuī tuō， zhǐ dé hē liǎo liǎng kǒu。 yuān yāng děng yě lái jìng， fèng jiě 'ér zhēn bù néng liǎo， máng yāng gào dào：“ hǎo jiě jiě men， ráo liǎo wǒ bà， wǒ míng 'ér zài hē bà。” yuān yāng xiào dào：“ zhēn gè de， wǒ men shì méi liǎn de liǎo？ jiù shì wǒ men zài tài tài gēn qián， tài tài hái shǎng gè liǎn 'ér ní。 wǎng cháng dǎo yòu xiē tǐ miàn， jīn 'ér dāng zhe zhè xiē rén， dàoná qǐ zhù zǐ de kuǎn 'ér lái liǎo。 wǒ yuán bù gāi lái。 bù hē， wǒ men jiù zǒu。” shuō zhe zhēn gè huí qù liǎo。 fèng jiě 'ér máng gǎn shàng lā zhù， xiào dào：“ hǎo jiě jiě， wǒ hē jiù shì liǎo。” shuō zhe ná guò jiǔ lái， mǎn mǎn de zhēn liǎo yī bēi hē gān。 yuān yāng fāng xiào liǎo sàn qù， rán hòu yòu rù xí。
fèng jiě 'ér zì jué jiǔ chén liǎo， xīn lǐ tū tū de sì wǎng shàng zhuàng， yào wǎng jiā qù xiē xiē， zhǐ jiàn nà shuǎ bǎi xì de shàng lái， biàn hé yóu shì shuō：“ yù bèi shǎng qián， wǒ yào xǐ xǐ liǎn qù。” yóu shì diǎn tóu。 fèng jiě 'ér chǒu rén bù fáng， biàn chū liǎo xí， wǎng fáng mén hòu yán xià zǒu lái。 píng 'ér liú xīn， yě máng gēn liǎo lái， fèng jiě 'ér biàn fú zhe tā。 cái zhì chuān láng xià， zhǐ jiàn tā fáng lǐ de yī gè xiǎo yā tóu zhèng zài nà lǐ zhàn zhe， jiàn tā liǎng gè lái liǎo， huí shēn jiù páo。 fèng jiě 'ér biàn yí xīn máng jiào。 nà yā tóu xiān zhǐ zhuāng tīng bù jiàn， wú nài hòu miàn lián píng 'ér yě jiào， zhǐ dé huí lái。 fèng jiě 'ér yuè fā qǐ liǎo yí xīn， máng hé píng 'ér jìn liǎo chuān táng， jiào nà xiǎo yā tóu zǐ yě jìn lái， bǎ К shàn guān liǎo， fèng jiě 'ér zuò zài xiǎo yuàn zǐ de tái jiē shàng， mìng nà yā tóu zǐ guì liǎo， hē mìng píng 'ér：“ jiào liǎng gè 'èr mén shàng de xiǎo sī lái， ná shéng zǐ biān zǐ， bǎ nà yǎn jīng lǐ méi zhù zǐ de xiǎo tí zǐ dǎ làn liǎo！ " nà xiǎo yā tóu zǐ yǐ jīng hǔ de hún fēi bó sàn， kū zhe zhǐ guǎn pèng tóu qiú ráo。 fèng jiě 'ér wèn dào：“ wǒ yòu bù shì guǐ， nǐ jiàn liǎo wǒ， bù shuō guī guīju jǔ zhàn zhù， zěn me dǎo wǎng qián páo？ " xiǎo yā tóu zǐ kū dào：“ wǒ yuán méi kàn jiàn nǎi nǎi lái。 wǒ yòu jì guà zhe fáng lǐ wú rén， suǒ yǐ páo liǎo。” fèng jiě 'ér dào：“ fáng lǐ jì méi rén， shuí jiào nǐ lái de？ nǐ biàn méi kàn jiàn wǒ， wǒ hé píng 'ér zài hòu tóu chě zhe bó zǐ jiào liǎo nǐ shí lái shēng， yuè jiào yuè páo。 lí de yòu bù yuǎn， nǐ lóng liǎo bù chéng？ nǐ hái hé wǒ jiàngzuǐ！ " shuō zhe biàn yáng shǒu yī zhǎng dǎ zài liǎn shàng， dǎ de nà xiǎo yā tóu yī zāi， zhè biān liǎn shàng yòu yī xià， dēng shí xiǎo yā tóu zǐ liǎng sāi zǐ zhàng qǐ lái。 píng 'ér máng quàn：“ nǎi nǎi zǎi xì shǒu téng。” fèng jiě biàn shuō：“ nǐ zài dǎzháo wèn tā páo shénme。 tā zài bù shuō， bǎ zuǐ sī làn liǎo tā de！ " nà xiǎo yā tóu zǐ xiān hái jiàngzuǐ， hòu lái tīng jiàn fèng jiě 'ér yào shāo liǎo hóng lào tiě lái lào zuǐ， fāng kū dào：“ èr yé zài jiā lǐ， dǎ fā wǒ lái zhè lǐ qiáo zhe nǎi nǎi de， ruò jiàn nǎi nǎi sàn liǎo， xiān jiào wǒ sòng xìn 'ér qù de。 bù chéng wàng nǎi nǎi zhè huì zǐ jiù lái liǎo。” fèng jiě 'ér jiàn huà zhōng yòu wén zhāng， " jiào nǐ qiáo zhe wǒ zuò shénme？ nán dào pà wǒ jiā qù bù chéng？ bì yòu bié de yuán gù， kuài gào sù wǒ， wǒ cóng cǐ yǐ hòu téng nǐ。 nǐ ruò bù xì shuō， lì kè ná dāo zǐ lái gē nǐ de ròu。” shuō zhe， huí tóu xiàng tóu shàng bá xià yī gēn zān zǐ lái， xiàng nà yā tóu zuǐ shàng luàn chuō， hǔ de nà yā tóu yīháng duǒ， yī xíng kū qiú dào：“ wǒ gào sù nǎi nǎi， kě bié shuō wǒ shuō de。” píng 'ér yī bàng quàn， yī miàn cuī tā， jiào tā kuài shuō。 yā tóu biàn shuō dào：“ èr yé yě shì cái lái fáng lǐ de， shuì liǎo yī huì xǐng liǎo， dǎ fā rén lái qiáo qiáo nǎi nǎi， shuō cái zuò xí， hái dé hǎo yī huì cái lái ní。 èr yé jiù kāi liǎo xiāng zǐ， ná liǎo liǎng kuài yín zǐ， hái yòu liǎng gēn zān zǐ， liǎng pǐ duàn zǐ， jiào wǒ qiāoqiāo de sòng yǔ bào 'èr de lǎo pó qù， jiào tā jìn lái。 tā shōu liǎo dōng xī jiù wǎng zán men wū lǐ lái liǎo。 èr yé jiào wǒ lái qiáo zhe nǎi nǎi， dǐ xià de shì wǒ jiù bù zhī dào liǎo。”
fèng jiě tīng liǎo， yǐ qì de hún shēn fā ruǎn， máng lì qǐ lái yī jìng lái jiā。 gāng zhì yuàn mén， zhǐ jiàn yòu yòu yī gè xiǎo yā tóu zài mén qián tàn tóu 'ér， yī jiàn liǎo fèng jiě shū chǎn shù liǎo zài xīn jīng jì zhèng cè tiáo jiàn xià dǎng zài qún zhòng zhōng jìn xíng gōng zuò de fāng shì hé， yě suō tóu jiù páo。 fèng jiě 'ér tí zhe míng zì hē zhù。 nà yā tóu běn lái líng lì， jiàn duǒ bù guò liǎo， yuè xìng páo liǎo chū lái， xiào dào：“ wǒ zhèng yào gào sù nǎi nǎi qù ní， kě qiǎo nǎi nǎi lái liǎo。” fèng jiě 'ér dào：“ gào sù wǒ shénme？ " nà xiǎo yā tóu biàn shuō 'èr yé zài jiā zhè bān rú cǐ rú cǐ， jiāng fāng cái de huà yě shuō liǎo yī biàn。 fèng jiě cuì dào：“ nǐ zǎo zuò shénme liǎo？ zhè huì zǐ wǒ kàn jiàn nǐ liǎo， nǐ lái tuī gān jìng 'ér！ " shuō zhe yě yáng shǒu yī xià dǎ de nà yā tóu yī gè lièqie， biàn shè shǒu shè jiǎo de zǒu zhì chuāng qián。 wǎng lǐ tīng shí， zhǐ tīng lǐ tóu shuō xiào。 nà fù rén xiào dào：“ duō zǎo wǎn nǐ nà yán wáng lǎo pó sǐ liǎo jiù hǎo liǎo。” jiǎ liǎn dào：“ tā sǐ liǎo， zài qǔ yī gè yě shì zhè yàng， yòu zěn me yàng ní？ " nà fù rén dào：“ tā sǐ liǎo， nǐ dǎo shì bǎ píng 'ér fú liǎo zhèng， zhǐ pà hái hǎo xiē。” jiǎ liǎn dào：“ rú jīn lián píng 'ér tā yě bù jiào wǒ zhān yī zhān liǎo。 píng 'ér yě shì yī dù zǐ wěi qū bù gǎn shuō。 wǒ mìng lǐ zěn me jiù gāi fàn liǎo‘ yè chā xīng’。”
fèng jiě tīng liǎo， qì de hún shēn luàn zhàn， yòu tīng tā liǎ dū zàn píng 'ér， biàn yí píng 'ér sù rì bèi dì lǐ zì rán yě yòu fèn yuàn yǔ liǎo， nà jiǔ yuè fā yǒng liǎo shàng lái， yě bìng bù cǔn duó， huí shēn bǎ píng 'ér xiān dǎ liǎo liǎng xià， yī jiǎo tī kāi mén jìn qù， yě bù róng fēn shuō， zhuā zhe bào 'èr jiā de sī dǎ yī dùn。 yòu pà jiǎ liǎn zǒu chū qù， biàn dǔ zhe mén zhàn zhe mà dào：“ hǎo yín fù！ nǐ tōu zhù zǐ hàn zǐ， hái yào zhì sǐ zhù zǐ lǎo pó！ píng 'ér guò lái！ nǐ men yín fù wàng bā yī tiáo téng 'ér， duō xián zhe wǒ， wài miàn 'ér nǐ hǒngwǒ！ " shuō zhe yòu bǎ píng 'ér dǎ jǐ xià， dǎ de píng 'ér yòu yuān wú chù sù， zhǐ qì dé gān kū， mà dào：“ nǐ men zuò zhè xiē méi liǎn de shì， hǎohǎo de yòu lā shàng wǒ zuò shénme！ " shuō zhe yě bǎ bào 'èr jiā de sī dǎ qǐ lái。 jiǎ liǎn yě yīn chī duō liǎo jiǔ， jìn lái gāo xīng， wèi céng zuò de jī mì， yī jiàn fèng jiě lái liǎo， yǐ méi liǎo zhù yì， yòu jiàn píng 'ér yě nào qǐ lái， bǎ jiǔ yě qì shàng lái liǎo。 fèng jiě 'ér dǎ bào 'èr jiā de， tā yǐ yòu qì yòu kuì， zhǐ bù hǎo shuō de， jīn jiàn píng 'ér yě dǎ， biàn shàng lái tī mà dào：“ hǎo chāng fù！ nǐ yě dòng shǒu dǎ rén！ " píng 'ér qì qiè， máng zhù liǎo shǒu， kū dào：“ nǐ men bèi dì lǐ shuō huà， wèishénme lā wǒ ní？ " fèng jiě jiàn píng 'ér pà jiǎ liǎn， yuè fā qì liǎo， yòu gǎn shàng lái dǎzháo píng 'ér， piān jiào dǎ bào 'èr jiā de。 píng 'ér jí liǎo， biàn páo chū lái zhǎo dāo zǐ yào xínsǐ。 wài miàn zhòng pó zǐ yā tóu máng lán zhù jiě quàn。 zhè lǐ fèng jiě jiàn píng 'ér xínsǐ qù， biàn yī tóu zhuàng zài jiǎ liǎn huái lǐ， jiào dào：“ nǐ men yī tiáo téng 'ér hài wǒ， bèi wǒ tīng jiàn liǎo， dǎo dū hǔ qǐ wǒ lái。 nǐ yě lēisǐ wǒ！ " jiǎ liǎn qì de qiáng shàng bá chū jiàn lái， shuō dào：“ bù yòng xínsǐ， wǒ yě jí liǎo， yī qí shā liǎo， wǒ cháng liǎo mìng， dà jiā gān jìng。” zhèng nào de bù kāi jiāo， zhǐ jiàn yóu shì děng yī qún rén lái liǎo， shuō：“ zhè shì zěn me shuō， cái hǎohǎo de， jiù nào qǐ lái。” jiǎ liǎn jiàn liǎo rén， yuè fā " yǐ jiǔ sān fēn zuì "， chěng qǐ wēi fēng lái， gù yì yào shā fèng jiě 'ér。 fèng jiě 'ér jiàn rén lái liǎo， biàn bù sì xiān qián nà bān pō liǎo， diū xià zhòng rén， biàn kū zhe wǎng jiǎ mǔ nà biān páo。
cǐ shí xì yǐ sàn chū， fèng jiě páo dào jiǎ mǔ gēn qián， pá zài jiǎ mǔ huái lǐ， zhǐ shuō：“ lǎo zǔ zōng jiù wǒ！ liǎn 'èr yé yào shā wǒ ní！ " jiǎ mǔ， xíng fū rén， wáng fū rén děng máng wèn zěn me liǎo。 fèng jiě 'ér kū dào：“ wǒ cái jiā qù huàn yī cháng， bù fáng liǎn 'èr yé zài jiā hé rén shuō huà， wǒ zhǐ dāng shì yòu kè lái liǎo， hǔ dé wǒ bù gǎn jìn qù。 zài chuāng hù wài tóu tīng liǎo yī tīng， yuán lái shì hé bào 'èr jiā de xí fù shāng yì， shuō wǒ lì hài， yào ná dú yào gěi wǒ chī liǎo zhì sǐ wǒ， bǎ píng 'ér fú liǎo zhèng。 wǒ yuán qì liǎo， yòu bù gǎn hé tā chǎo， yuán dǎ liǎo píng 'ér liǎng xià， wèn tā wèishénme yào hài wǒ。 tā sào liǎo， jiù yào shā wǒ。” jiǎ mǔ děng tīng liǎo， dū xìn yǐ wéi zhēn， shuō：“ zhè hái liǎo dé！ kuài ná liǎo nà xià liú zhǒng zǐ lái！ " yī yǔ wèi wán， zhǐ jiàn jiǎ liǎn ná zhe jiàn gǎn lái， hòu miàn xǔ duō rén gēn zhe。 jiǎ liǎn míng zhàng zhe jiǎ mǔ sù xí téng tā men， lián mǔ qīn shěn mǔ yě wú 'ài， gù chěng qiáng nào liǎo lái。 xíng fū rén wáng fū rén jiàn liǎo， qì de máng lán zhù mà dào：“ zhè xià liú zhǒng zǐ！ nǐ yuè fā fǎn liǎo， lǎo tài tài zài zhè lǐ ní！ " jiǎ liǎn miē xié zhuóyǎn， dào：“ dōushì lǎo tài tài guàn de tā， tā cái zhè yàng， lián wǒ yě mà qǐ lái liǎo！ " xíng fū rén qì de duó xià jiàn lái， zhǐ guǎn hē tā " kuài chū qù！ " nà jiǎ liǎn sǎ jiāo sǎ chī， xián yán xián yǔ de hái zhǐ luàn shuō。 jiǎ mǔ qì de shuō dào：“ wǒ zhī dào nǐ yě bù bǎ wǒ men fàng zài yǎn jīng lǐ， jiào rén bǎ tā lǎo zǐ jiào lái！ " jiǎ liǎn tīng jiàn zhè huà， fāng lièqie zhe jiǎo 'ér chū qù liǎo， dǔ qì yě bù wǎng jiā qù， biàn wǎng wài shū fáng lái。
zhè lǐ xíng fū rén wáng fū rén yě shuō fèng jiě 'ér。 jiǎ mǔ xiào dào：“ shénme yào jǐn de shì！ xiǎo hái zǐ men nián qīng， chán zuǐ māo 'ér shìde， nà lǐ bǎo dé zhù bù zhèmezhāo。 cóng xiǎo 'ér shì réndōu dǎ zhè me guò de。 dōushì wǒ de bù shì， tā duō chī liǎo liǎng kǒu jiǔ， yòu chī qǐ cù lái。” shuō de zhòng réndōu xiào liǎo。 jiǎ mǔ yòu dào：“ nǐ fàng xīn“ fán rén jí xiōng， yǐ xíng wéi zhù， yǐ mìng wéi jué”。 chéng rèn wǔ dé zhōng shǐ zhī lùn， dàn， děng míng 'ér wǒ jiào tā lái tì nǐ péi bù shì。 nǐ jīn 'ér bié yào guò qù sào zhe tā。” yīn yòu mà：“ píng 'ér nà tí zǐ， sù rì wǒ dǎo kàn tā hǎo， zěn me 'àn dì lǐ zhè me huài。 " yóu shì děng xiào dào：“ píng 'ér méi yòu bù shì， shì fèng yā tóu ná zhe rén jiā chū qì。 liǎng kǒu zǐ bù hǎo duì dǎ， dū ná zhe píng 'ér shā xìng zǐ。 píng 'ér wěi qū de shénme shìde ní， lǎo tài tài hái mà rén jiā。” jiǎ mǔ dào：“ yuán lái zhè yàng， wǒ shuō nà hái zǐ dǎo bù xiàng nà hú mèi yǎn dào de。 jì zhèmezhāo， kě lián jiàn de， bái shòu tā men de qì。” yīn jiào hǔ pò lái：“ nǐ chū qù gào sù píng 'ér， jiù shuō wǒ de huà： wǒ zhī dào tā shòu liǎo wěi qū， míng 'ér wǒ jiào fèng jiě 'ér tì tā péi bù shì。 jīn 'ér shì tā zhù zǐ de hǎo rì zǐ， bù xǔ tā hú nào。”
yuán lái píng 'ér zǎo bèi lǐ wán lā rù dà guān yuán qù liǎo。 píng 'ér kū de gěngyè nán tái。 bǎo chāi quàn dào：“ nǐ shì gè míng bái rén， sù rì fèng yā tóu hé děng dài nǐ， jīn 'ér bù guò tā duō chī yī kǒu jiǔ。 tā kě bù ná nǐ chū qì， nán dào dàoná bié rén chū qì bù chéng？ bié rén yòu xiào huà tā chī zuì liǎo。 nǐ zhǐ guǎn zhè huì zǐ wěi qū， sù rì nǐ de hǎo chù， qǐ bù dōushì jiǎ de liǎo？ " zhèng shuō zhe， zhǐ jiàn hǔ pò zǒu lái， shuō liǎo jiǎ mǔ de huà。 píng 'ér zì jué miàn shàng yòu liǎo guāng huī， fāng cái jiàn jiàn de hǎo liǎo， yě bù wǎng qián tóu lái。 bǎo chāi děng xiē xī liǎo yī huí， fāng lái kàn jiǎ mǔ fèng jiě。
bǎo yù biàn ràng píng 'ér dào yí hóng yuàn zhōng lái。 xí rén máng jiē zhe， xiào dào：“ wǒ xiān yuán yào ràng nǐ de， zhǐ yīn dà nǎi nǎi hé gū niàn mendōu ràng nǐ， wǒ jiù bù hǎo ràng de liǎo。” píng 'ér yě péi xiào shuō " duō xiè "。 yīn yòu shuō dào：“ hǎohǎo 'ér de cóng nà lǐ shuō qǐ， wú yuán wú gù bái shòu liǎo yīcháng qì。” xí rén xiào dào：“ èr nǎi nǎi sù rì dài nǐ hǎo， zhè bù guò shì yī shí qì jí liǎo。 " píng 'ér dào：“ èr nǎi nǎi dǎo méi shuō de， zhǐ shì nà yín fù zhì de wǒ， tā yòu piān ná wǒ còu qù， kuàng hái yòu wǒ men nà hú tú yé dàodǎ wǒ。” shuō zhe biàn yòu wěi qū， jìn bù zhù luò lèi。 bǎo yù máng quàn dào：“ hǎo jiě jiě， bié shāng xīn， wǒ tì tā liǎng gè péi bù shì bà。 " píng 'ér xiào dào：“ yǔ nǐ shénme xiāng gān？ " bǎo yù xiào dào：“ wǒ men dì xiōng zǐ mèi dū yī yàng。 tā men dé zuì liǎo rén， wǒ tì tā péi gè bù shì yě shì yīnggāi de。” yòu dào：“ kě xī zhè xīn yī cháng yě zhān liǎo， zhè lǐ yòu nǐ huā mèi mèi de yī cháng， hé bù huàn liǎo xià lái， ná xiē shāo jiǔ pēn liǎo yùn yī yùn。 bǎ tóu yě lìng shū yī shū， xǐ xǐ liǎn。” yī miàn shuō， yī miàn biàn fēn fù liǎo xiǎo yā tóu zǐ men yǎo xǐ liǎn shuǐ， shāo yùn dǒu lái。 píng 'ér sù xí zhǐ wén rén shuō bǎo yù zhuān néng hé nǚ hái 'ér men jiē jiāo， bǎo yù sù rì yīn píng 'ér shì jiǎ liǎn de 'ài qiè， yòu shì fèng jiě 'ér de xīn fù， gù bù kěn hé tā sī jìn， yīn bù néng jìn xīn， yě cháng wéi hèn shì。 píng 'ér jīn jiàn tā zhè bān， xīn zhōng yě 'àn 'àn de ゅ ： guǒ rán huà bù xū chuán， sè sè xiǎng de zhōu dào。 yòu jiàn xí rén tè tè de kāi liǎo xiāng zǐ， ná chū liǎng jiàn bù dà chuān de yī cháng lái yǔ tā huàn， biàn gǎn máng de tuō xià zì jǐ de yī fú， máng qù xǐ liǎo liǎn。 bǎo yù yī bàng xiào quàn dào：“ jiě jiě hái gāi cā shàng xiē zhī fěn， bù rán dǎo xiàng shì hé fèng jiě jiě dǔ qì liǎo sì de。 kuàng qiě yòu shì tā de hǎo rì zǐ， ér qiě lǎo tài tài yòu dǎ fā liǎo rén lái 'ān wèi nǐ。” píng 'ér tīng liǎo yòu lǐ， biàn qù zhǎo fěn， zhǐ bù jiàn fěn。 bǎo yù máng zǒu zhì zhuāng tái qián， jiāng yī gè xuān yáo cí hé jiē kāi， lǐ miàn shèng zhe yī pái shí gēn yù zān huā bàng， niān liǎo yī gēn dì yǔ píng 'ér。 yòu xiào xiàng tā dào：“ zhè bù shì qiān fěn， zhè shì zǐ mò lì huā zhǒng， yán suì liǎo duì shàng xiāng liào zhì de。” píng 'ér dǎo zài zhǎng shàng kàn shí， guǒ jiàn qīng bái hóng xiāng， sì yàng jù měi， tān zài miàn shàng yě róng yì yún jìng， qiě néng rùn zé jī fū， bù sì bié de fěn qīng zhòng sè zhì。 rán hòu kàn jiàn yān zhī yě bù shì chéng zhāng de， què shì yī gè xiǎo xiǎo de bái yù hé zǐ， lǐ miàn shèng zhe yī hé， rú méi guī gāo zǐ yī yàng。 bǎo yù xiào dào：“ nà shì mài de yān zhī dōubù gān jìng， yán sè yě bó。 zhè shì shàng hǎo de yān zhī níng chū zhī zǐ lái， táo chéng jìng liǎo zhā zǐ， pèi liǎo huā lù zhēng dié chéng de。 zhǐ yòng xì zān zǐ tiǎo yī diǎn 'ér mǒ zài shǒu xīn lǐ， yòng yī diǎn shuǐ huà kāi mǒ zài chún shàng， shǒu xīn lǐ jiù gòu dǎ jiá sāi liǎo。 píng 'ér yǐ yán zhuāng shì， guǒ jiàn xiān yàn yì cháng， qiě yòu tián xiāng mǎn jiá。 bǎo yù yòu jiāng pén nèi de yī zhī bìng dì qiū huì yòng zhú jiǎn dāo xié liǎo xià lái， yǔ tā zān zài bìn shàng。 hū jiàn lǐ wán dǎ fā yā tóu lái huàn tā， fāng máng máng de qù liǎo。
bǎo yù yīn zì lái cóng wèi zài píng 'ér qián jìn guò xīn， héng héng qiě píng 'ér yòu shì gè jí cōng míng jí qīng jùn de shàng děng nǚ hái 'ér， bǐ bù dé nà qǐ sú chǔn zhuō wù héng héng - shēn wéi hèn yuàn。 jīn rì shì jīn chuàn 'ér de shēng rì， gù yī rì bù lè。 bù xiǎng luò hòu nào chū zhè jiàn shì lái， jìng dé zài píng 'ér qián shāo jìn piàn xīn máo zé dōng mǎ kè sī zhù yì zhé xué zài zhōng guó de wěi dà de jì chéng zhě、 hàn wèi zhě，， yì jīn shēng yì zhōng bù xiǎng zhī lè yě。 yīn wāi zài chuáng shàng， xīn nèi yí rán zì dé。 hū yòu sī jí jiǎ liǎn wéi zhī yǐ yín lè yuè jǐ， bìng bù zhī zuò yǎng zhī fěn。 yòu sī píng 'ér bìng wú fù mǔ xiōng dì zǐ mèi， dú zì yī rén， gōng yìng jiǎ liǎn fū fù 'èr rén。 jiǎ liǎn zhī sú， fèng jiě zhī wēi， tā jìng néng zhōu quán tuǒ tiē， jīn 'ér hái zāo shū dú， xiǎng lái cǐ rén bó mìng， bǐ dài yù yóu shèn。 xiǎng dào cǐ jiān， biàn yòu shāng gǎn qǐ lái， bù jué sǎ rán lèi xià。 yīn jiàn xí rén děng bù zài fáng nèi， jìn lì luò liǎo jǐ diǎn tòng lèi。 fù qǐ shēn， yòu jiàn fāng cái de yī cháng shàng pēn de jiǔ yǐ bàn gān， biàn ná yùn dǒu yùn liǎo dié hǎo， jiàn tā de shǒu pà zǐ wàng qù， shàng miàn yóu yòu lèi zì， yòu ná zhì liǎn pén zhōng xǐ liǎo liàng shàng。 yòu xǐ yòu bēi， mèn liǎo yī huí， yě wǎng dào xiāng cūn lái， shuō yī huí xián huà， zhǎng dēng hòu fāng sàn。
píng 'ér jiù zài lǐ wán chù xiē liǎo yī yè， fèng jiě 'ér zhǐ gēn zhe jiǎ mǔ。 jiǎ liǎn wǎn jiān guī fáng， lěng qīng qīng de， yòu bù hǎo qù jiào， zhǐ dé hú luàn shuì liǎo yī yè。 cì rì xǐng liǎo， xiǎng zuó rì zhī shì， dà méi yì sī， hòu huǐ bù lái。 xíng fū rén jì guà zhe zuó rì jiǎ liǎn zuì liǎo， máng yī zǎo guò lái， jiào liǎo jiǎ liǎn guò jiǎ mǔ zhè biān lái。 jiǎ liǎn zhǐ dé rěn kuì qián lái zài jiǎ mǔ miàn qián guì xià。 jiǎ mǔ wèn tā：“ zěn me liǎo？ " jiǎ liǎn máng péi xiào shuō：“ zuó 'ér yuán shì chī liǎo jiǔ， jīng liǎo lǎo tài tài de jià liǎo， jīn 'ér lái lǐng zuì。 " jiǎ mǔ cuì dào：“ xià liú dōng xī， guàn liǎo huáng tānɡ， bù shuō 'ānfèn shǒu jǐ de tǐng shī qù， dàodǎ qǐ lǎo pó lái liǎo！ fèng yā tóu chéng rì jiā
shuō zuǐ， bà wáng shìde yī gè rén， zuó 'ér hǔ dé kě lián。 yào bù shì wǒ， nǐ yào shāng liǎo tā de mìng， zhè huì zǐ zěn me yàng？ " jiǎ liǎn yī dù zǐ de wěi qū， bù gǎn fēn biàn， zhǐ rèn bù shì。 jiǎ mǔ yòu dào：“ nà fèng yā tóu hé píng 'ér hái bù shì gè měi rén tāi zǐ？ nǐ hái bù zú！ chéng rì jiā tōu jī mō gǒu， zàng de chòu de， dū lā liǎo nǐ wū lǐ qù。 wéi zhè qǐ yín fù dǎ lǎo pó， yòu dǎ wū lǐ de rén， nǐ hái kuī shì dà jiā zǐ de gōng zǐ chū shēn， huó dǎ liǎo zuǐ liǎo。 ruò nǐ yǎn jīng lǐ yòu wǒ， nǐ qǐ lái， wǒ ráo liǎo nǐ， guāi guāi de tì nǐ xí fù péi gè bù shì， lā liǎo tā jiā qù， wǒ jiù xǐ huān liǎo。 yào bù rán， nǐ zhǐ guǎn chū qù， wǒ yě bù gǎn shòu nǐ de guì。” jiǎ liǎn tīng rú cǐ shuō， yòu jiàn fèng jiě 'ér zhàn zài nà biān， yě bù shèng zhuāng， kū de yǎn jīng zhǒng zhe， yě bù shī zhī fěn， huáng huáng liǎn 'ér， bǐ wǎng cháng gèng jué kě lián kě 'ài。 xiǎng zhe：“ bù rú péi liǎo bù shì， bǐ cǐ yě hǎo liǎo， yòu tǎo lǎo tài tài de xǐ huān liǎo。” xiǎng bì， biàn xiào dào：“ lǎo tài tài de huà， wǒ bù gǎn bù yǐ， zhǐ shì yuè fā zòng liǎo tā liǎo。” jiǎ mǔ xiào dào：“ hú shuō！ wǒ zhī dào tā zuì yòu lǐ de， zài bù huì chōng zhuàng rén。 tā rì hòu dé zuì liǎo nǐ， wǒ zì rán yě zuò zhù， jiào nǐ jiàng fú jiù shì liǎo。”
jiǎ liǎn tīng shuō， pá qǐ lái， biàn yǔ fèng jiě 'ér zuò liǎo yī gè yī， xiào dào：“ yuán lái shì wǒ de bù shì， èr nǎi nǎi ráo guò wǒ bà。” mǎn wū lǐ de réndōu xiào liǎo。 jiǎ mǔ xiào dào：“ fèng yā tóu rén wù chuàng zào de， rén mín qún zhòng、 bèi yā pò jiē jí zhǐ shì máng mù dì gēn suí zhe zhè zhǒng， bù xǔ nǎo liǎo， zài nǎo wǒ jiù nǎo liǎo。” shuō zhe， yòu mìng rén qù jiào liǎo píng 'ér lái， mìng fèng jiě 'ér hé jiǎ liǎn liǎng gè 'ān wèi píng 'ér。 jiǎ liǎn jiàn liǎo píng 'ér， yuè fā gù bù dé liǎo， suǒ wèi " qī bù rú qiè， qiè bù rú tōu "， tīng jiǎ mǔ yī shuō， biàn gǎn shàng lái shuō dào：“ gū niàn zuó rì shòu liǎo qū liǎo， dōushì wǒ de bù shì。 nǎi nǎi dé zuì liǎo nǐ， yě shì yīn wǒ 'ér qǐ。 wǒ péi liǎo bù shì bù suàn wài， hái tì nǐ nǎi nǎi péi gè bù shì。” shuō zhe， yě zuò liǎo yī gè yī， yǐn de jiǎ mǔ xiào liǎo， fèng jiě 'ér yě xiào liǎo。 jiǎ mǔ yòu mìng fèng jiě 'ér lái 'ān wèi tā。 píng 'ér máng zǒu shàng lái gěi fèng jiě 'ér kē tóu， shuō：“ nǎi nǎi de qiān qiū， wǒ rě liǎo nǎi nǎi shēng qì， shì wǒ gāi sǐ。” fèng jiě 'ér zhèng zì kuì huǐ zuó rì jiǔ chī duō liǎo， bù niàn sù rì zhī qíng， fú zào qǐ lái， wéi tīng liǎo bàng rén de huà， wú gù gěi píng 'ér méi liǎn。 jīn fǎn jiàn tā rú cǐ， yòu shì cán kuì， yòu shì xīn suān， máng yī bǎ lā qǐ lái， làxià lèi lái。 píng 'ér dào：“ wǒ fú shì liǎo nǎi nǎi zhè me jǐ nián， yě méi dàn wǒ yī zhǐ jiá。 jiù shì zuó 'ér dǎ wǒ， wǒ yě bù yuàn nǎi nǎi， dōushì nà yín fù zhì de， yuàn bù dé nǎi nǎi shēng qì。 " shuō zhe， yě dī xià lèi lái liǎo。 jiǎ mǔ biàn mìng rén jiāng tā sān rén sòng huí fáng qù， " yòu yī gè zài tí cǐ shì， jí kè lái huí wǒ， wǒ bù guǎn shì shuí， ná guǎi gùn zǐ gěi tā yī dùn。”
sān gè rén cóng xīn gěi jiǎ mǔ， xíng wáng 'èr wèi fū rén kē liǎo tóu。 lǎo mó mó dāyìng liǎo， sòng tā sān rén huí qù。 zhì fáng zhōng， fèng jiě 'ér jiàn wú rén， fāng shuō dào：“ wǒ zěn me xiàng gè yán wáng， yòu xiàng yè chā？ nà yín fù zhòu wǒ sǐ， nǐ yě bāng zhe zhòu wǒ。 qiān rì bù hǎo， yě yòu yī rì hǎo。 kě lián wǒ 'áo de lián gè yín fù yě bù rú liǎo， wǒ hái yòu shénme liǎn lái guò zhè rì zǐ？ " shuō zhe， yòu kū liǎo。 jiǎ liǎn dào：“ nǐ hái bù zú？ nǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng， zuó 'ér shuí de bù shì duō？ jīn 'ér dāng zhe rén hái shì wǒ guì liǎo yī guì， yòu péi bù shì， nǐ yě zhēng zú liǎo guāng liǎo。 zhè huì zǐ hái dāo dāo， nán dào hái jiào wǒ tì nǐ guì xià cái bà？ tài yào zú liǎo qiáng yě bù shì hǎo shì。” shuō de fèng jiě 'ér wú yán kě duì， píng 'ér chī de yī shēng yòu xiào liǎo。 jiǎ liǎn yě xiào dào：“ yòu hǎo liǎo！ zhēn zhēn wǒ yě méi fǎ liǎo。”
zhèng shuō zhe， zhǐ jiàn yī gè xí fù lái huí shuō：“ bào 'èr xí fù diào sǐ liǎo。” jiǎ liǎn fèng jiě 'ér dū chī liǎo yī jīng。 fèng jiě máng shōu liǎo qiè sè， fǎn hèdào：“ sǐ liǎo bà liǎo， yòu shénme dà jīng xiǎo guài de！ " yī shí， zhǐ jiàn lín zhī xiào jiā de jìn lái qiǎo huí fèng jiě dào：“ bào 'èr xí fù diào sǐ liǎo， tā niàn jiā de qīn qī yào gào ní。” fèng jiě 'ér xiào dào：“ zhè dǎo hǎo liǎo， wǒ zhèng xiǎng yào dǎ guān sī ní！ " lín zhī xiào jiā de dào：“ wǒ cái hé zhòng rén quàn liǎo tā men， yòu wēihè liǎo yī zhèn， yòu xǔ liǎo tā jǐ gè qián， yě jiù yǐ liǎo。” fèng jiě 'ér dào：“ wǒ méi yī gè qián！ yòu qián yě bù gěi， zhǐ guǎn jiào tā gào qù。 yě bù xǔ quàn tā， yě bù yòng zhèn xià tā， zhǐ guǎn ràng tā gào qù。 gào bù chéng dǎo wèn tā gè yǐ shī 'é zhà’！ " lín zhī xiào jiā de zhèng zài wéi nán， jiàn jiǎ liǎn hé tā shǐ yǎn sè 'ér， xīn xià míng bái， biàn chū lái děng zhe。 jiǎ liǎn dào：“ wǒ chū qù qiáo qiáo， kàn shì zěn me yàng。” fèng jiě 'ér dào：“ bù xǔ gěi tā qián。” jiǎ liǎn yī jìng chū lái， hé lín zhī xiào lái shāng yì， zhe rén qù zuò hǎo zuò dǎi， xǔ liǎo 'èr bǎi liǎng fā sòng cái bà。 jiǎ liǎn shēng kǒng yòu biàn， yòu mìng rén qù hé wáng zǐ téng shuō， jiāng fān yì wǔ zuò rén děng jiào liǎo jǐ míng lái， bāng zhe bàn sāngshì。 nà xiē rén jiàn liǎo rú cǐ， zòng yào fù biàn yì bù gǎn biàn， zhǐ dé rěn qì tūn shēng bà liǎo。 jiǎ liǎn yòu mìng lín zhī xiào jiāng nà 'èr bǎi yín zǐ rù zài liú nián zhàng shàng， fēn bié tiān bǔ kāi xiāo guò qù。 yòu tī jǐ gěi bào 'èr xiē yín liǎng， ān wèi tā shuō：“ lìng rì zài tiǎo gè hǎo xí fù gěi nǐ。” bào 'èr yòu yòu tǐ miàn， yòu yòu yín zǐ， yòu hé bù yǐ， biàn réng rán fèng chéng jiǎ liǎn， bù zài huà xià。
lǐ miàn fèng jiě xīn zhōng suī bù 'ān， miàn shàng zhǐ guǎn yáng bù lǐ lùn， yīn fáng zhōng wú rén， biàn lā píng 'ér xiào dào：“ wǒ zuó 'ér guàn sàng liǎo jiǔ liǎo， nǐ bié fèn yuàn dào dé lùn hé dào dé jiào yù， měi hé měi yù， jiào yù zhé xué hé jiào yù kē xué de fā zhǎn， dǎ liǎo nà lǐ， ràng wǒ qiáo qiáo。” píng 'ér dào：“ yě méi dǎ zhòng。” zhǐ tīng dé shuō， nǎi nǎi gū niàn dū jìn lái liǎo。 yào zhī duān de， xià huí fēn jiě。
By some inscrutable turn of affairs, lady Feng begins to feel the pangs of jealousy. Pao-yue experiences joy, beyond all his expectations, when P'ing Erh (receives a slap from lady Feng) and has to adjust her hair.
But to resume our narrative. At the performance of the 'Record of the boxwood hairpin,' at which all the inmates of the household were present, Pao-yue and his female cousins sat together. When Lin Tai-yue noticed that the act called, 'The man offers a sacrifice' had been reached, "This Wang Shih-p'eng," she said to Pao-ch'ai, "is very stupid! It would be quite immaterial where he offered his sacrifices, and why must he repair to the riverside? 'At the sight of an object,' the proverb has it, 'one thinks of a person. All waters under the heavens revert but to one source.' So had he baled a bowlful from any stream, and given way to his lamentations, while gazing on it, he could very well have satisfied his feelings."
Pao-ch'ai however made no reply.
Pao-yue then turned his head round and asked for some warm wine to drink to lady Feng's health. The fact is, that dowager lady Chia had enjoined on them that this occasion was unlike others, and that it was absolutely necessary for them to do the best to induce lady Feng to heartily enjoy herself for the day. She herself, nevertheless, felt too listless to join the banquet, so simply reclining on a sofa of the inner room, she looked at the plays in company with Mrs. Hsueeh; and choosing several kinds of such eatables as were to her taste, she placed them on a small teapoy, and now helped herself to some, and now talked, as the fancy took her. Then allotting what viands were served on the two tables assigned to her to the elder and younger waiting-maids, for whom no covers were laid, and to those female servants and other domestics, who were on duty and had to answer calls, she urged them not to mind but to seat themselves outside the windows, under the eaves of the verandahs, and to eat and drink at their pleasure, without any regard to conventionalities. Madame Wang and Madame Hsing occupied places at the high table below; while round several tables outside sat the posse of young ladies.
"Do let that girl Feng have the seat of honour," old lady Chia shortly told Mrs. Yu and her contemporaries, "and mind be careful in doing the honours for me, for she is subjected to endless trouble from one year's end to another!"
"Very well," said Mrs. Yu. "I fancy," she went on to smile, "that little used as she is to filling the place of honour, she's bound, if she takes the high seat, to be so much at a loss how to behave, as to be loth even to have any wine!"
Dowager lady Chia was much amused by her reply. "Well, if you can't succeed," she said, "wait and I'll come and offer it to her."
Lady Feng with hasty step walked into the inner room. "Venerable ancestor!" she smiled, "don't believe all they tell you! I've already had several cups!"
"Quick, pull her out," old lady Chia laughingly cried to Mrs. Yu, "and shove her into a chair, and let all of you drink by turns to her health! If she then doesn't drink, I'll come myself in real earnest and make her have some!"
At these words, Mrs. Yu speedily dragged her out, laughing the while, and forced her into a seat, and, directing a servant to fetch a cup, she filled it with wine. "You've got from one year's end to another," she smiled, "the trouble and annoyance of conferring dutiful attentions upon our venerable senior, upon Madame Wang and upon myself, so, as I've nothing to-day, with which to prove my affection for you, have a sip, from my hand, my own dear, of this cup of wine I poured for you myself!"
"If you deliberately wish to present me a glass," lady Feng laughed, "fall on your knees and I'll drink at once!"
"What's this you say?" Mrs. Yu replied with a laugh. "And who are you, I wonder? But let me tell you this once for all and finish that though we've succeeded, after ever so many difficulties, in getting up this entertainment to-day, there's no saying whether we shall in the future be able to have anything more the like of this or not. Let's avail ourselves then of the present to put our capacity to the strain and drink a couple of cups!"
Lady Feng saw very well that she could not advance any excuses, and necessity obliged her to swallow the contents of two cups. In quick succession, however, the various young ladies also drew near her, and lady Feng was constrained again to take a sip from the cup each held. But nurse Lai Ta too felt compelled, at the sight of dowager lady Chia still in buoyant spirits, to come forward and join in the merriment, so putting herself at the head of a number of nurses, she approached and proffered wine to lady Feng who found it once more so difficult to refuse that she had to swallow a few mouthfuls. But Yuean Yang and her companions next appeared, likewise, on the scene to hand her their share of wine; but lady Feng felt, in fact, so little able to comply with their wishes, that she promptly appealed to them entreatingly. "Dear sisters," she pleaded, "do spare me! I'll drink some more to-morrow!"
"Quite so! we're a mean lot," Yuean Yang laughed. "But now that we stand in the presence of your ladyship, do condescend to look upon us favourably! We've always enjoyed some little consideration, and do you put on the airs of a mistress on an occasion like the present, when there's such a crowd of people standing by? Really, I shouldn't have come. But, as you won't touch our wine, we might as well be quick and retire!"
While she spoke, she was actually walking away, when lady Feng hastened to lay hold of her and to detain her. "Dear sister," she cried, "I'll drink some and have done!"
So saying, she took the wine and filled a cup to the very brim, and drained it. Yuean Yang then at length gave her a smile, (and she and her friends) dispersed.
Subsequently, the company resumed their places at the banquet. But lady Feng was conscious that the wine she had primed herself with was mounting to her head, so abruptly staggering to the upper end, she meant to betake herself home to lie down, when seeing the jugglers arrive, "Get the tips ready!" she shouted to Mrs. Yu. "I'm off to wash my face a bit."
Mrs. Yu nodded her head assentingly; and lady Feng, noticing that the inmates were off their guard, left the banquet, and wended her steps beneath the eaves towards the back entrance of the house. P'ing Erh had, however, been keeping her eye on her, so hastily she followed in her footsteps. Lady Feng at once propped herself on her arm. But no sooner did they reach the covered passage than she discerned a young maid, attached to her quarters, standing under it. (The girl), the moment she perceived them, twisted herself round and beat a retreat. Lady Feng forthwith began to give way to suspicion; and she immediately shouted out to her to halt. The maid pretended at first not to hear, but, as, while following her they called out to her time after time, she found herself compelled to turn round. Lady Feng was seized with greater doubts than ever. Quickly therefore entering the covered passage with P'ing Erh, she bade the maid go along with them. Then opening a folding screen, lady Feng stated herself on the steps leading to the small courtyard, and made the girl fall on her knees. "Call two boy-servants from among those on duty at the second gate," she cried out to P'ing Erh, "to bring a whip of twisted cords, and to take this young wench, who has no regard for her mistress, and beat her to shreds."
The servant-maid fell into a state of consternation, and was scared out of her very wits. Sobbing the while, she kept on bumping her head on the ground and soliciting for grace.
"I'm really no ghost! So you must have seen me! Don't you know what good manners mean and stand still?" lady Feng asked. "Why did you instead persist in running on?"
"I truly did not see your ladyship coming," the maid replied with tears in her eyes. "I was, besides, much concerned as there was no one in the rooms; that's why I was running on."
"If there's no one in the rooms, who told you to come out again?" lady Feng inquired. "And didn't you see me, together with P'ing Erh, at your heels, stretching out our necks and calling out to you about ten times? But the more we shouted, the faster you ran! You weren't far off from us either, so is it likely that you got deaf? And are you still bent upon bandying words with me?"
So speaking, she raised her hand and administered her a slap on the face. But, while the girl staggered from the blow, she gave her a second slap on the other side of the face, so both cheeks of the maid quickly began to get purple and to swell.
P'ing Erh hastened to reason with her mistress. "My lady!" she said, "be careful you'll be hurting your hand!"
"Go on, pommel her," urged lady Feng, "and ask her what made her run! and, if she doesn't tell you, just you take her mouth and tear it to pieces for her!"
At the outset, the girl obstinately prevaricated, but when she eventually heard that lady Feng intended to take a red-hot branding-iron and burn her mouth with, she at last sobbingly spoke out. "Our Master Secundus, Mr. Lien, is at home," she remarked, "and he sent me here to watch your movements, my lady; bidding me go ahead, when I saw you leave the banquet, and convey the message to him. But, contrary to his hopes, your ladyship came back just now!"
Lady Feng saw very well that there lurked something behind all she said. "What did he ask you to watch me for?" she therefore eagerly asked. "Can it be, pray, that he dreaded to see me return home? There must be some other reason; so be quick and tell it to me and I shall henceforward treat you with regard. If you don't minutely confess all to me, I shall this very moment take a knife and pare off your flesh!"
Threatening her the while, she turned her head round, and, extracting a hairpin from her coiffure, she stuck it promiscuously about the maid's mouth. This so frightened the girl that, as she made every effort to get out of her way, she burst out into tears and entreaties. "I'll tell your ladyship everything," she cried, "but you mustn't say that it was I who told you."
Ping Erh, who stood by, exhorted her to obey; but she at the same time impressed on her mind to speak out without delay.
"Mr. Secundus himself arrived only a few minutes back," the maid began. "The moment, however, he came, he opened a bog, and, taking two pieces of silver, two hairpins, and a couple of rolls of silk, he bade me stealthily take them to Pao Erh's wife and tell her to come in. As soon as she put the things away, she hurried to our house, and Master Secundus ordered me to keep an eye on your ladyship; but of what happened after that, I've no idea whatever."
When these disclosures fell on lady Feng's ears, she flew into such a rage that her whole person felt quite weak; and, rising immediately, she straightway repaired home. The instant she reached the gate of the courtyard, she espied a waiting-maid peep out of the entrance. Seeing lady Feng, she too drew in her head, and tried at once to effect her escape. But lady Feng called her by name, and made her stand still. This girl had ever been very sharp, so when she realised that she could not manage to beat a retreat, she went so far as to run out to her. "I was just going to tell your ladyship," she smiled, "and here you come! What a strange coincidence!"
"Tell me what?" lady Feng exclaimed.
"That Mr. Secundus is at home," the girl replied, "and has done so and so." She then recounted to her all the incidents recorded a few minutes back.
"Ts'ui!" ejaculated lady Feng. "What were you up to before? Now, that I've seen you, you come and try to clear yourself!"
As she spoke, she raised her arm and administered the maid a slap, which upset her equilibrium. So with hurried step, she betook herself away. Lady Feng then drew near the window. Lending an ear to what was going on inside, she heard some one in the room laughingly observe: "When that queen-of-hell sort of wife of yours dies, it will be a good riddance!"
"When she's gone," Chia Lien rejoined, "and I marry another, the like of her, what will I again do?"
"When she's dead and gone," the woman resumed, "just raise P'ing Erh to the rank of primary wife. I think she'll turn out considerably better than she has."
"At present," Chia Lien put in, "she won't even let me enjoy P'ing Erh's society! P'ing Erh herself is full of displeasure; yet she dares not speak. How is it that it has been my fate to bring upon myself the influence of this evil star?"
Lady Feng overheard these criticisms and flew into a fit of anger, which made her tremble violently. When she, however, also caught the praise heaped by both of them upon P'ing Erh, she harboured the suspicion that P'ing Erh too must, as a matter of course, have all along employed the sly resentful language against her. And, as the wine bubbled up more and more into her head, she did not so much as give the matter a second thought, but, twisting round, she first and foremost gave P'ing Erh a couple of whacks, and, with one kick, she banged the door open, and walked in. Then, without allowing her any time to give any explanation in her own defence, she clutched Pao Erh's wife, and, tearing her about, she belaboured her with blows. But the dread lest Chia Lien should slip out of the room, induced her to post herself in such a way as to obstruct the doorway. "What a fine wench!" she shouted out abusingly. "You make a paramour of your mistress' husband, and then you wish to compass your master's wife's death, for P'ing Erh to transfer her quarters in here! You base hirelings! You're all of the same stamp, thoroughly jealous of me; you try to cajole me by your outward display!"
While abusing them, she once more laid hold of P'ing Erh and beat her several times. P'ing Erh was pummelled away till her heart thrilled with a sense of injury, but she had nowhere to go, and breathe her woes. Such resentment overpowered her feelings that she sobbed without a sign of a tear. "You people," she railingly shouted, "go and do a lot of shameful things, and then you also deliberately involve me; but why?"
So shouting, she too clutched Pao Erh's wife and began to assail her. Chia Lien had freely primed himself with wine, so, on his return home, he was in such exuberance of spirits that he observed no secresy in his doings. The moment, however, he perceived lady Feng appear on the scene, he got to his wits' end. Yet when he saw P'ing Erh also start a rumpus, the liquor he had had aroused his ire. The sight of the assault committed by lady Feng on Pao Erh's wife had already incensed him and put him to shame, but he had not been able with any consistency to interfere; but the instant he espied P'ing Erh herself lay hands on her, he vehemently jumped forward and gave her a kick. "What a vixen!" he cried. "Are you likewise going to start knocking people about?"
P'ing Erh was of a timid disposition. At once, therefore, she withheld her hands, and melted into tears. "Why do you implicate me," she said, "in things you say behind my back?"
When lady Feng descried in what fear and dread P'ing Erh was of Chia Lien, she lost more than ever control over her temper, and, starting again in pursuit of her, she struck P'ing Erh, while urging her to go for Pao Erh's wife.
P'ing Erh was driven to exasperation; and forthwith rushing out of the apartment, she went in search of a knife to commit suicide with. But the company of old matrons, who stood outside, hastened to place impediments in her way, and to argue with her.
Lady Feng, meanwhile, realised that P'ing Erh had gone to take her life, and rolling, head foremost, into Chia Lien's embrace, "You put your heads together to do me harm," she said, "and, when I overhear your designs, you people conspire to frighten me! But strangle me and have done."
Chia Lien was driven to despair; to such a degree that unsheathing a sword suspended on the wall, "There's no need for any one of you to commit suicide!" he screamed. "I too am thoroughly exasperated, so I'll kill the whole lot of you and pay the penalty with my own life! We'll all then be free from further trouble!"
The bustle had just reached a climax beyond the chance of a settlement, when they perceived Mrs. Yu and a crowd of inmates make their appearance in the room. "What's the matter?" they asked. "There was nothing up just now, so why is all this row for?"
At the sight of the new arrivals, Chia Lien more than ever made the three parts of intoxication, under which he laboured, an excuse to assume an air calculated to intimidate them, and to pretend, in order to further his own ends, that he was bent upon despatching lady Feng.
But lady Feng, upon seeing her relatives appear, got into a mood less perverse than the one she had been in previous to their arrival; and, leaving the whole company of them, she scampered, all in tears, over to the off side, into dowager lady Chia's quarters.
By this time, the play was over. Lady Feng rushed consequently into the old lady's presence and fell into her lap. "Venerable ancestor! help me!" she exclaimed. "Mr. Chia Lien wishes to kill me."
"What's up?" precipitately inquired dowager lady Chia, Mesdames Hsing and Wang and the rest.
"I was just going to my rooms to change my dress," lady Feng wept, "when I unexpectedly found Mr. Chia Lien at home, talking with some one. Fancying that visitors had come, I was quite taken aback, and not presuming to enter, I remained outside the window and listened. It turned out, in fact, to be Pao Erh's wife holding council with him. She said that I was dreadful, and that she meant to poison me so as to get me out of the way and enable P'ing Erh to be promoted to be first wife. At this, I lost my temper. But not venturing, none the less, to have a row with him, I simply gave P'ing Erh two slaps; and then I asked him why he wished to do me harm. But so stricken did he get with shame that he tried there and then to despatch me."
Dowager lady Chia treated every word that fell on her ear as truth. "Dreadful!" she ejaculated. "Bring here at once that low-bred offspring!"
Barely was, however, this exclamation out of her lips, than they perceived Chia Lien, a sword in hand, enter in pursuit of his wife, followed closely by a bevy of inmates. Chia Lien evidently placed such thorough reliance upon the love, which old lady Chia had all along lavished upon them, that he entertained little regard even for his mother or his aunt, so he came, with perfect effrontery, to stir up a disturbance in their presence. When Mesdames Hsing and Wang saw him, they got into a passion, and, with all despatch, they endeavoured to deter him from his purpose. "You mean thing!" they shouted, abusing him. "Your crime is more heinous, for our venerable senior is in here!"
"It's all because our worthy ancestor spoils her," cried Chia Lien, with eyes awry, "that she behaved as she did and took upon herself to rate even me!"
Madame Hsing was full of resentment. Snatching the sword from his grasp, she kept on telling him to quit the room at once. But Chia Lien continued to prattle foolish nonsense in a drivelling and maudlin way. His manner exasperated dowager lady Chia. "I'm well aware," she observed, "that you haven't the least consideration for any one of us. Tell some one to go and call his father here and we'll see whether he doesn't clear out."
When Chia Lien caught these words, he eventually tottered out of the apartment. But in such a state of frenzy was he that he did not return to his quarters, but betook himself into the outer study.
During this while, Mesdames Hsing and Wang also called lady Feng to task.
"Why, what serious matter could it ever have been?" old lady Chia remarked. "But children of tender years are like greedy kittens, and how can one say for certain that they won't do such things? Human beings have, from their very infancy, to go through experiences of this kind! It's all my fault, however, for pressing you to have a little more wine than was good for you. But you've also gone and drunk the vinegar of jealousy!"
This insinuation made every one laugh.
"Compose your mind!" proceeded dowager lady Chia. "To-morrow I'll send for him to apologise to you; but, you'd better to-day not go over, as you might put him to shame!" Continuing, she also went on to abuse P'ing Erh. "I've always thought highly of that wench," she said, "and how is it that she's turned out to be secretly so bad?"
"P'ing Erh isn't to blame!" Mrs. Yu and the others smiled. "It's lady Feng who makes people her tools to give vent to her spite! Husband and wife could not very well come to blows face to face, so they combined in using P'ing Erh as their scapegoat! What injuries haven't fallen to P'ing Erh's lot! And do you, venerable senior, still go on blowing her up?"
"Is it really so!" exclaimed old lady Chia. "I always said that that girl wasn't anything like that artful shrew! Well, in that case, she is to be pitied, for she has had to bear the brunt of her anger, and all through no fault of hers!" Calling Hu Po to her, "Go," she added, "and tell P'ing Erh all I enjoin you; 'that I know that she has been insulted and that to-morrow I'll send for her mistress to make amends, but that being her mistress' birthday to-day, I won't have her give rise to any reckless fuss'!"
P'ing Erh had, we may explain, from an early hour, been dragged by Li Wan into the garden of Broad Vista. Here P'ing Erh gave way to bitter tears. So much so, that her throat choked with sobs, and could not give utterance to speech.
"You are an intelligent person," exhorted her Pao-ch'ai, "and how considerately has your lady treated you all along! It was simply because she has had a little too much wine that she behaved as she did to-day! But had she not made you the means of giving vent to her spite, is it likely that she could very well have aired her grievances upon any one else? Besides, any one else would have laughed at her for acting in a sham way!"
While she reasoned with her, she saw Hu Po approach, and deliver dowager lady Chia's message. P'ing Erh then felt in herself that she had come out of the whole affair with some credit, and she, little by little, resumed her equilibrium. She did not, nevertheless, put her foot anywhere near the front part of the compound.
After a little rest, Pao Ch'ai and her companions came and paid a visit to old lady Chia and lady Feng, while Pao-yue pressed P'ing Erh to come to the I Hung court. Hsi Jen received her with alacrity. "I meant," she said, "to be the first to ask you, but as our senior lady, Chia Chu, and the young ladies invited you, I couldn't very well do so myself."
P'ing Erh returned her smile. "Many thanks!" she rejoined. "How words ever commenced between us;" she then went on, "when there was no provocation, I can't tell! But without rhyme or reason, I came in for a spell of resentment."
"Our lady Secunda has always been very good to you," laughingly remarked Hsi Jen, "so she must have done this in a sudden fit of exasperation!"
"Our lady Secunda did not, after all, say anything to me," P'ing Erh explained. "It was that wench that blew me up. And she deliberately made a laughing-stock of me. But that fool also of a master of ours struck me!"
While recounting her experiences, she felt a keener sense of injustice than before, and she found it hard to restrain her tears from trickling down her cheeks.
"My dear sister," Pao-yue hastily advised her, "don't wound your heart! I'm quite ready to express my apologies on behalf of that pair!"
"What business is that of yours?" P'ing Erh smiled.
"We cousins, whether male or female, are all alike." Pao-yue smilingly argued. "So when they hurt any one's feelings, I apologise for them; it's only right that I should do so. What a pity;" he continued, "these new clothes too have been stained! But you'll find your sister Hua's costumes in here, and why don't you put one on, and take some hot wine and spurt it over yours and iron them out? You might also remake your coiffure."
Speaking, he directed the young maids to draw some water for washing the face and to heat an iron and bring it.
P'ing Erh had ever heard people maintain that all that Pao-yue excelled in was in knitting friendships with girls. But Pao-yue had so far been loth, seeing that P'ing Erh was Chia Lien's beloved secondary wife, and lady Feng's confidante, to indulge in any familiarities with her. And being precluded from accomplishing the desire upon which his heart was set, he time and again gave way to vexation. When P'ing Erh, however, remarked his conduct towards her on this occasion, she secretly resolved within herself that what was said of him was indeed no idle rumour. But as he had anticipated every one of her wants, and she saw moreover that Hsi Jen had, for her special benefit, opened a box and produced two articles of clothing, not much worn by her, she speedily drew near and washed her face.
Pao-yue stood by her side. "You must, dear girl, also apply a little cosmetic and powder," she smiled; "otherwise you'll look as if you were angry with lady Feng. It's her birthday, besides; and our old ancestor has sent some one again to come and cheer you up."
Hearing how reasonable his suggestions were, P'ing Erh readily went in search of powder; but she failed to notice any about, so Pao-yue hurriedly drew up to the toilet-table, and, removing the lid of a porcelain box made at the "Hsuean" kiln, which contained a set of ten small ladles, tuberose-like in shape, (for helping one's self to powder with), he drew out one of them and handed it to P'ing Erh. "This isn't lead powder," he smiled. "This is made of the seeds of red jasmine, well triturated, and compounded with suitable first class ingredients."
P'ing Erh emptied some on the palm of her hand. On examination, she really found that it was light, clear, red and scented; perfect in all four properties; that it was easy to apply evenly to the face, that it kept moist, and that it differed from other kinds of powder, ordinarily so rough. She subsequently noticed that the cosmetic too was not spread on a sheet, but that it was contained in a tiny box of white jade, the contents of which bore the semblance of rose-paste.
"The cosmetic one buys in the market isn't clean;" Pao-yue remarked smilingly. "Its colour is faint as well. But this is cosmetic of superior quality. The juice was squeezed out, strained clear, mixed with perfume of flowers and decocted. All you need do is to take some with that hair-pin and rub it on your lips, that will be enough; and if you dissolve some in a little water, and rub it on the palm of your hand, it will be ample for you to cover your whole face with."
P'ing Erh followed his directions and performed her toilette. She looked exceptionally fresh and beautiful. A sweet fragrance pervaded her cheeks. Pao-yue then cut, with a pair of bamboo scissors, a stalk, with two autumn orchids, which had blossomed in a flower pot, and he pinned it in her side-hair. But a maid was unexpectedly seen to enter the room, sent by Li Wan to come and call her, so she quitted his quarters with all possible despatch.
Pao-yue had not so far been able to have his wishes to revel in P'ing Erh's society gratified. P'ing Erh was furthermore a girl of a high grade, most intelligent, most winsome, and unlike that sort of vulgar and dull-minded beings, so that he cherished intense disgust against his fate.
The present occasion had been the anniversary of Chin Ch'uan-erh's birth, and he had remained, in consequence, plunged in a disconsolate frame of mind throughout the whole day. But, contrary to his expectations, the incident eventually occurred, which afforded him, after all, an opportunity to dangle in P'ing Erh's society and to gratify to some small degree a particle of his wish. This had been a piece of good fortune he so little expected would fall to his share during the course of his present existence, that as he reclined on his bed, his heart swelled with happiness and contentment. Suddenly, he reflected that Chia Lien's sole thought was to make licentious pleasures the means of gratifying his passions, and that he had no idea how to show the least regard to the fair sex; and he mused that P'ing Erh was without father or mother, brothers or sisters, a solitary being destined to dance attendance upon a couple such as Chia Lien and his wife; that Chia Lien was vulgar, and lady Feng haughty, but that she was gifted nevertheless with the knack of splendidly managing things; and that (P'ing Erh) had again to-day come across bitter sorrow, and that her destiny was extremely unfortunate.
At this stage of his reverie, he began to feel wounded and distressed. When he rose once more to his feet, he noticed that the wine, which she had spurted on the clothes, she had a few minutes back divested herself of, had already half dried, and, taking up the iron, he smoothed them and folded them nicely for her. He then discovered that she had left her handkerchief behind, and that it still bore traces of tears, so throwing it into the basin, he rinsed it and hung it up to dry, with feelings bordering on joy as well as sadness. But after a short time spent in a brown study, he too betook himself to the Tao Hsiang village for a chat; and it was only when the lamps had been lit that he got up to take his leave.
P'ing Erh put up in Li Wan's quarters for the night. Lady Feng slept with dowager lady Chia, while Chia Lien returned at a late hour to his home. He found it however very lonely. Yet unable to go and call his wife over, he had no alternative but to sleep as best he could for that night. On the morrow, he remembered, as soon as he opened his eyes, the occurrence of the previous day, and he fell a prey to such extreme unhappiness that he could not be conscience-stricken enough.
Madame Hsing pondered with solicitude on Chia Lien's drunken fit the day before. The moment therefore it was light, she hastily crossed over, and sent for Chia Lien to repair to dowager lady Chia's apartments. Chia Lien was thus compelled to suppress all timidity and to repair to the front part of the mansion and fall on his knees at the feet of his old senior.
"What was the matter?" inquired old lady Chia.
"I really had too much wine yesterday," Chia Lien promptly answered with a forced smile. "I must have given you a fright, worthy ancestor, so I come to-day to receive condign punishment."
"You mean fellow!" shouted dowager lady Chia, spitting at him disdainfully. "You go and glut yourself with spirits, and, not to speak of your not going to stretch yourself like a corpse and sleep it off, you contrariwise start beating your wife! But that vixen Feng brags away the whole day long, as if she were a human being as valiant as any tyrant, and yet yesterday she got into such a funk that she presented a woeful sight! Had it not been for me, you would have done her bodily harm; and what would you feel like now?"
Chia Lien was at heart full of a sense of injury, but he could not master sufficient courage to say anything in his own defence. The only course open to him was therefore to make a confession of fault.
"Don't lady Feng and P'ing Erh possess the charms of handsome women?" dowager lady Chia resumed. "And aren't you yet satisfied with them that you must, of a day, go slyly prowling and gallavanting about, dragging indiscriminately into your rooms frowsy and filthy people? Is it for the sake of this sort of wenches that you beat your wife and belabour the inmates of your quarters? You've nevertheless had the good fortune of starting in life as the scion of a great family; and do you, with eyes wide open, bring disgrace upon your own head? If you have any regard for me, well, then get up and I'll spare you! And if you make your apologies in a proper manner to your wife and take her home, I'll be satisfied. But if you don't, just you clear out of this, for I won't even presume to have any of your genuflexions!"
Chia Lien took to heart the injunctions that fell on his ear. Espying besides lady Feng standing opposite to him in undress, her eyes swollen from crying, and her face quite sallow, without cosmetic or powder, he thought her more lovable and charming than ever. "Wouldn't it be well," he therefore mused, "that I should make amends, so that she and I may be on friendly terms again and that I should win the good pleasure of my old ancestor?"
At the conclusion of his reflections, he forthwith put on a smile. "After your advice, venerable senior," he said, "I couldn't be so bold as not to accede to your wishes! But this is shewing her more indulgence than ever!"
"What nonsense!" exclaimed dowager lady Chia laughingly. "I am well aware that with her extreme decorum she couldn't hurt any one's susceptibilities. But should she, in the future, wrong you in any way, I shall, of course, take the law into my own hands and bid you make her submit to your authority and finish."
Chia Lien, at this assurance, crawled up and made a bow to lady Feng. "It was really my fault, so don't be angry, lady Secunda," he said.
Every one in the room laughed.
"Now, my girl Feng," lady Chia laughingly observed, "you are not to lose your temper; for if you do, I'll lose mine too!"
Continuing, she directed a servant to go and call P'ing Erh; and, on her arrival, she advised lady Feng and Chia Lien to do all they could to reconcile her. At the sight of P'ing Erh, Chia Lien showed less regard than ever for the saying that 'a primary wife differs from a secondary wife,' and the instant he heard old lady Chia's exhortation he drew near her. "The injuries," he remarked, "to which you were subjected yesterday, Miss, were entirely due to my shortcoming. If your lady hurt your feelings, it was likewise all through me that the thing began. So I express my regret; but, besides this, I tender my apologies as well on behalf of your mistress."
Saying this, he made another bow. This evoked a smile from dowager lady Chia. Lady Feng, however, also laughed. Their old ancestor then desired lady Feng to come and console P'ing Erh, but P'ing Erh hastily advanced and knocked her head before lady Feng. "I do deserve death," she urged, "for provoking your ladyship to wrath on the day of your birthday!"
Lady Feng was at the moment pricked by shame and remorse for having so freely indulged in wine the previous day as to completely have lost sight of longstanding friendships, and for allowing her temper to so thoroughly flare up as to lend a patient ear to the gossip of outsiders, and unjustly put P'ing Erh out of countenance, so when she contrariwise now saw her make advances, she felt both abashed and grieved, and, promptly extending her arms, she dragged her up and gave way to tears.
"I've waited upon your ladyship for all these years," P'ing Erh pleaded, "and you've never so much as given me a single fillip; and yet, you beat me yesterday. But I don't bear you any grudge, my lady, for it was that wench, who was at the bottom of it all. Nor do I wonder that your ladyship lost control over your temper."
As she spoke, tears trickled down her cheeks too.
"Escort those three home!" dowager lady Chia shouted to the servants. "If any one of them makes the least allusion to the subject, come at once and tell me of it; for without any regard as to who it may be, I shall take my staff and give him or her a sound flogging."
The trio then prostrated themselves before dowager lady Chia and the two ladies, Mesdames Hsing and Wang. And assenting to her old mistress' injunctions, an old nurse accompanied the three inmates to their quarters.
When they got home, lady Feng assured herself that there was no one about. "How is it," she next asked, "that I'm like a queen of hell, or like a 'Yakcha' demon? That courtesan swore at me and wished me dead; and did you too help her to curse me? If I'm not nice a thousand days, why, I must be nice on some one day! But if, poor me, I'm so bad as not even to compare with a disorderly woman, how can I have the face to come and spend my life with you here?"
So speaking, she melted into tears.
"Aren't you yet gratified?" cried Chia Lien. "Just reflect carefully who was most to blame yesterday! And yet, in the presence of so many people, it was I who, after all, fell to-day on my knees and made apologies as well. You came in for plenty of credit, and do you now go on jabber, jabber? Can it be that you'd like to make me kneel at your feet before you let matters rest? If you try and play the bully beyond bounds, it won't be a good thing for you!"
To these arguments, lady Feng could find no suitable response.
P'ing Erh then blurted out laughing.
"She's all right again!" Chia Lien smiled. "But I'm really quite at a loss what to do with this one."
These words were still on his lips, when they saw a married woman walk in. "Pao Erh's wife has committed suicide by hanging herself," she said.
This announcement plunged both Chia Lien and lady Feng into great consternation. Lady Feng, however, lost no time in putting away every sign of excitement. "Dead, eh? What a riddance!" she shouted instead. "What's the use of making such a fuss about a mere trifle?"
But not long elapsed before she perceived Lin Chih-hsiao's wife make her appearance in the room. "Pao Erh's wife has hung herself," she whispered to lady Feng in a low tone of voice, "and her mother's relatives want to take legal proceedings."
Lady Feng gave a sardonic smile. "That's all right!" she observed. "I myself was just thinking about lodging a complaint!"
"I and the others tried to dissuade them," Lin Chih-hsiao's wife continued. "And by having recourse to intimidation as well as to promises of money, they, at last, agreed to our terms."
"I haven't got a cash," lady Feng replied. "Had I even any money, I wouldn't let them have it; so just let them go and lodge any charge they fancy. You needn't either dissuade them or intimidate them. Let them go and complain as much as they like. But if they fail to establish a case against me, they'll, after all, be punished for trying to make the corpse the means of extorting money out of me!"
Lin Chih-hsiao's wife was in a dilemma, when she espied Chia Lien wink at her. Comprehending his purpose, she readily quitted the apartment and waited for him outside.
"I'll go out and see what they're up to!" Chia Lien remarked.
"Mind, I won't have you give them any money!" shouted lady Feng.
Chia Lien straightway made his exit. He came and held consultation with Lin Chih-hsiao, and then directed the servants to go and use some fair means, others harsh. The matter was, however, not brought to any satisfactory arrangement until he engaged to pay two hundred taels for burial expenses. But so apprehensive was Chia Lien lest something might occur to make the relatives change their ideas, that he also despatched a messenger to lay the affair before Wang Tzu-t'eng, who bade a few constables, coroners and other official servants come and help him to effect the necessary preparations for the funeral. The parties concerned did not venture, when they saw the precautions he had adopted, to raise any objections, disposed though they may have been to try and bring forward other arguments. Their sole alternative therefore was to suppress their resentment, to refrain from further importunities and let the matter drop into oblivion.
Chia Lien then impressed upon Lin Chih-hsiao to insert the two hundred taels in the accounts for the current year, by making such additions to various items here and there as would suffice to clear them off, and presented Pao Erh with money out of his own pocket as a crumb of comfort, adding, "By and bye, I'll choose a nice wife for you." When Pao Erh, therefore, came in for a share of credit as well as of hard cash, he could not possibly do otherwise than practise contentment; and forthwith, needless to dilate on this topic, he began to pay court to Chia Lien as much as ever.
In the inner rooms, lady Feng was, it is true, much cut up at heart; but she strained every nerve to preserve an exterior of total indifference. Noticing that there was no one present in the apartment, she drew P'ing Erh to her. "I drank yesterday," she smiled, "a little more wine than was good for me, so don't bear me a grudge. Where did I strike you, let me see?"
"You didn't really strike me hard!" P'ing Erh said by way of reply.
But at this stage they heard some one remark that the ladies and young ladies had come in.
If you desire, reader, to know any of the subsequent circumstances, peruse the account given in the following chapter.
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