中国经典 》 hóng lóu mèng A Dream of Red Mansions 》
dì bā huí bǐ tōng líng jīn yīng wēi lù yì tàn bǎo chāi dài yù bàn hán suān CHAPTER VIII.
cáo xuě qín Cao Xueqin
gāo 'ě Gao E
CHAPTER VIII.
 第八回 比通灵金莺微露意 探宝钗黛玉半含酸
què shuō bǎo yù yīn sòng jiǎ mǔ huí lái， dài jiǎ mǔ xiē liǎo zhōng jué， yì yù hái qù kàn xì qǔ lè， yòu kǒng rǎo de qín shì děng rén bù biàn， yīn xiǎng qǐ jìn rì xuē bǎo chāi zài jiā yǎng bìng， wèi qù qīn hòu， yì yù qù wàng tā yī wàng。 ruò cóng shàng fáng hòu jiǎo mén guò qù， yòu kǒng yù jiàn bié shì chán rào， zài huò kě qiǎo yù jiàn tā fù qīn， gèng wéi bù tuǒ， nìngkě rào yuǎn lù bà liǎo。 dāng xià zhòng mó mó yā huán cìhou tā huàn yī fú， jiàn tā bù huàn， réng chū 'èr mén qù liǎo， zhòng mó mó yā huán zhǐ dé gēn suí chū lái， hái zhǐ dāng tā qù nà fǔ zhōng kàn xì。 shuí zhī dào chuān táng， biàn xiàng dōng xiàng běi rào tīng hòu 'ér qù。 piān dǐng tóu yù jiàn liǎo mén xià qīng kè xiànggōng zhān guāng dān pìn rén 'èr rén zǒu lái， yī jiàn liǎo bǎo yù， biàn dū xiào zhe gǎn shàng lái， yī gè bào zhù yāo， yī gè xié zhuóshǒu， dū dào： “ wǒ de pú sà gē 'ér， wǒ shuō zuò liǎo hǎo mèng ní， hǎo róng yì dé yù jiàn liǎo nǐ。 ” shuō zhe， qǐng liǎo 'ān， yòu wèn hǎo， láo dāo bàn rì， fāng cái zǒu kāi。 lǎo mó mó jiào zhù， yīn wèn：“ èr wèi yé shì cóng lǎo yé gēn qián lái de bù shì？ " èr rén diǎn tóu dào：“ lǎo yé zài mèng pō zhāi xiǎo shū fáng lǐ xiē zhōng jué ní， bù fáng shì de。” yī miàn shuō， yī miàn zǒu liǎo。 shuō de bǎo yù yě xiào liǎo。 yú shì zhuǎn wān xiàng běi bēn lí xiāng yuàn lái。 kě qiǎo yín kù fáng de zǒng lǐng míng huàn wú xīn dēng yǔ cāng shàng de tóu mù míng dài liáng， hái yòu jǐ gè guǎn shì de tóu mù， gòng yòu qī gè rén， cóng zhàng fáng lǐ chū lái， yī jiàn liǎo bǎo yù， gǎn láidōu yī qí chuí shǒu zhàn zhù。 dú yòu yī gè mǎi bàn míng huàn qián huá， yīn tā duō rì wèi jiàn bǎo yù， máng shàng lái dǎ qiān 'ér qǐng 'ān， bǎo yù máng hán xiào xié tā qǐ lái。 zhòng réndōu xiào shuō：“ qián 'ér zài yī chù kàn jiàn 'èr yé xiě de dǒu fāng 'ér， zì fǎ yuè fā hǎo liǎo， duō zǎo wǎn 'ér shǎng wǒ men jǐ zhāng tiē tiē。” bǎo yù xiào dào：“ zài nà lǐ kàn jiàn liǎo？ " zhòng rén dào：“ hǎo jǐ chù dōuyòu， dū chēng zàn de liǎo bù dé， hái hé wǒ men xún ní。” bǎo yù xiào dào：“ bù zhí shénme， nǐ men shuō yǔ wǒ de xiǎo yāo 'ér men jiù shì liǎo。” yī miàn shuō， yī miàn qián zǒu， zhòng rén dài tā guò qù， fāng dū gè zì sàn liǎo。
xián yán shǎo shù， qiě shuō bǎo yù lái zhì lí xiāng yuàn zhōng， xiān rù xuē yí mā shì zhōng lái， zhèng jiàn xuē yí mā dǎ diǎn zhēn zhǐ yǔ yā huán men ní。 bǎo yù máng qǐng liǎo 'ān， xuē yí mā máng yī bǎ lā liǎo tā， bào rù huái nèi， xiào shuō：“ zhè men lěng tiān， wǒ de 'ér， nán wéi nǐ xiǎng zhe lái， kuài shàng kàng lái zuò zhe bà。” mìng rén dǎo gǔn gǔn de chá lái。 bǎo yù yīn wèn：“ gē gē bù zài jiā？ " xuē yí mā tàn dào：“ tā shì méi lóng tóu de mǎ， tiān tiān máng bù liǎo， nà lǐ kěn zài jiā yī rì。” bǎo yù dào：“ jiě jiě kě dà 'ān liǎo？ " xuē yí mā dào：“ kě shì ní， nǐ qián 'ér yòu xiǎng zhe dǎ fā rén lái qiáo tā。 tā zài lǐ jiān bù shì， nǐ qù qiáo tā， lǐ jiān bǐ zhè lǐ nuǎnhuo， nà lǐ zuò zhe， wǒ shōu shí shōu shí jiù jìn qù hé nǐ shuō huà 'ér。” bǎo yù tīng shuō， máng xià liǎo kàng lái zhì lǐ jiān mén qián， zhǐ jiàn diào zhe bàn jiù de hóng н ruǎn lián。 bǎo yù xiān lián yī mài bù jìn qù， xiān jiù kàn jiàn xuē bǎo chāi zuò zài kàng shàng zuò zhēn xiàn， tóu shàng wǎn zhe qī hēi yóu guāng de シ ér， mì hé sè mián 'ǎo， méi guī zǐ 'èr sè jīn yín shǔ bǐ jiān guà， cōng huáng líng mián qún， yī sè bàn xīn bù jiù， kàn qù bù jué shē huá。 chún bù diǎn 'ér hóng， méi bù huà 'ér cuì， liǎn ruò yín pén， yǎn rú shuǐ xìng。 hǎn yán guǎ yǔ， rén wèi cáng yú， ānfèn suí shí， zì yún shǒu zhuō。 bǎo yù yī miàn kàn， yī miàn wèn：“ jiě jiě kě dà yù liǎo？ " bǎo chāi tái tóu zhǐ jiàn bǎo yù jìn lái， lián máng qǐ shēn hán xiào dá shuō：“ yǐ jīng dà hǎo liǎo， dǎo duō xiè jì guà zhe。” shuō zhe， ràng tā zài kàng yán shàng zuò liǎo， jí mìng yīng 'ér zhēn chá lái。 yī miàn yòu wèn lǎo tài tài yí niàn 'ān， bié de jiě mèi mendōu hǎo。 yī miàn kàn bǎo yù tóu shàng dài zhe sī qiàn bǎo zǐ jīn guān， é shàng lè zhe 'èr lóng qiǎng zhū jīn mǒ 'é， shēn shàng chuānzhuó qiū xiāng sè lì mǎng bái hú yè jiàn xiù， xì zhe wǔ sè hú dié luán tāo， xiàng shàng guà zhe cháng mìng suǒ， jì míng fú， lìng wài yòu yī kuài luò cǎo shí xián xià lái de bǎo yù。 bǎo chāi yīn xiào shuō dào：“ chéng rì jiā shuō nǐ de zhè yù， jiū jìng wèi céng xì xì de shǎng jiàn， wǒ jīn 'ér dǎo yào qiáo qiáo。” shuō zhe biàn nuó jìn qián lái。 bǎo yù yì còu liǎo shàng qù， cóng xiàng shàng zhāi liǎo xià lái， dì zài bǎo chāi shǒu nèi。 bǎo chāi tuō yú zhǎng shàng， zhǐ jiàn dà rú què luǎn， càn ruò míng xiá， yíng rùn rú sū， wǔ sè huā wén chán hù。 zhè jiù shì dà huāng shān zhōng qīng gěng fēng xià de nà kuài wán shí de huàn xiāng。 hòu rén céng yòu shī cháo yún：
nǚ wā liàn shí yǐ huāng táng， yòu xiàng huāng táng yǎn dà huāng。
shī qù yōu líng zhēn jìng jiè， huàn lái qīn jiù chòu pí náng。
hǎo zhī yùn bài jīn wú cǎi， kān tàn shí guāi yù bù guāng。
bái gǔ rú shān wàng xìng shì， wú fēi gōng zǐ yǔ hóng zhuāng。 nà wán shí yì céng jì xià tā zhè huàn xiāng bìng là sēng suǒ juān de zhuàn wén， jīn yì 'àn tú huà yú hòu。 dàn qí zhēn tǐ zuì xiǎo， fāng néng cóng tāi zhōng xiǎo 'ér kǒu nèi xián xià。 jīn ruò 'àn qí tǐ huà， kǒng zì jì guò yú wēi xì， shǐ guān zhě dà fèi yǎn guāng， yì fēi chàng shì。 gù jīn zhǐ 'àn qí xíng shì， wú fēi lüè zhǎn xiē guīju， shǐ guān zhě biàn yú dēng xià zuì zhōng kě yuè。 jīn zhù míng cǐ gù， fāng wú tāi zhōng zhī 'ér kǒu yòu duō dà， zěn dé xián cǐ láng о chǔn dà zhī wù děng yǔ zhī bàng。
tōng líng bǎo yù zhèng miàn tú shì
tōng líng bǎo yù
zhù yún mò shī mò wàng xiān shòu héng chāng
tōng líng bǎo yù fǎn miàn tú shì
zhù yún yī chú xié suì 'èr liáo п jí sān zhī huò fú
bǎo chāi kàn bì， yòu cóng xīn fān guò zhèng miàn lái xì kàn， kǒu nèi niàn dào：“ mò shī mò wàng， xiān shòu héng chāng。” niàn liǎo liǎng biàn， nǎi huí tóu xiàng yīng 'ér xiào dào：“ nǐ bù qù dàochá， yě zài zhè lǐ fā dāi zuò shénme？ " yīng 'ér xī xī xiào dào：“ wǒ tīng zhè liǎng jù huà， dǎo xiàng hé gū niàn de xiàng juàn shàng de liǎng jù huà shì yī duì 'ér。” bǎo yù tīng liǎo， máng xiào dào：“ yuán lái jiě jiě nà xiàng juàn shàng yě yòu bā gè zì， wǒ yě shǎng jiàn shǎng jiàn。” bǎo chāi dào：“ nǐ bié tīng tā de huà， méi yòu shénme zì。” bǎo yù xiào yāng：“ hǎo jiě jiě， nǐ zěn me qiáo wǒ de liǎo ní。” bǎo chāi bèi chán bù guò， yīn shuō dào：“ yě shì gè rén gěi liǎo liǎng jù jí lì huà 'ér， suǒ yǐ zàn shàng liǎo， jiào tiān tiān dài zhe， bù rán， chén diàn diàn de yòu shénme qù 'ér。” yī miàn shuō， yī miàn jiě liǎo pái kòu， cóng lǐ miàn dà hóng 'ǎo shàngjiàng nà zhū bǎo jīng yíng huáng jīn càn làn de yīng luò tāo jiāng chū lái。 bǎo yù máng tuō liǎo suǒ kàn shí， guǒ rán yī miàn yòu sì gè zhuàn zì， liǎng miàn bā zì， gòng chéng liǎng jù jí chèn。 yì céng 'àn shì huà xià xíngxiàng：
yīn zhù yún bù lí bù qì
yīn zhù yún fāng líng yǒng jì bǎo yù kàn liǎo， yě niàn liǎo liǎng biàn， yòu niàn zì jǐ de liǎng biàn， yīn xiào wèn：“ jiě jiě zhè bā gè zì dǎo zhēn yǔ wǒ de shì yī duì。” yīng 'ér xiào dào：“ shì gè là tóu hé shàng sòng de， tā shuō bì xū zàn zài jīn qì shàng -" bǎo chāi bù dài shuō wán， biàn chēn tā bù qù dàochá， yī miàn yòu wèn bǎo yù cóng nà lǐ lái。
bǎo yù cǐ shí yǔ bǎo chāi jiù jìn， zhǐ wén yī zhèn zhèn liáng sēn sēn tián sī sī de yōu xiāng， jìng bù zhī xì hé xiāng qì， suì wèn：“ jiě jiě xūn de shì shénme xiāng？ wǒ jìng cóng wèi wén jiàn guò zhè wèi 'ér。” bǎo chāi xiào dào：“ wǒ zuì pà xūn xiāng， hǎohǎo de yī fú， xūn de yān liáo huǒ qì de。” bǎo yù dào：“ jì rú cǐ， zhè shì shénme xiāng？ " bǎo chāi xiǎng liǎo yī xiǎng， xiào dào：“ shì liǎo， shì wǒ zǎo qǐ chī liǎo wán yào de xiāng qì。” bǎo yù xiào dào：“ shénme wán yào zhè me hǎo wén？ hǎo jiě jiě， gěi wǒ yī wán cháng cháng。” bǎo chāi xiào dào：“ yòu hùn nào liǎo， yī gè yào yě shì hùn chī de？”
yī yǔ wèi liǎo， hū tīng wài miàn rén shuō：“ lín gū niàn lái liǎo。” huà yóu wèi liǎo， lín dài yù yǐ yáo yáo de zǒu liǎo jìn lái， yī jiàn liǎo bǎo yù， biàn xiào dào：“ ài yō， wǒ lái de bù qiǎo liǎo！ " bǎo yù děng máng qǐ shēn xiào ràng zuò， bǎo chāi yīn xiào dào：“ zhè huà zěn me shuō？ " dài yù xiào dào：“ zǎo zhī tā lái， wǒ jiù bù lái liǎo。” bǎo chāi dào：“ wǒ gèng bù jiě zhè yì。” dài yù xiào dào：“ yào lái yī qún dōulái， yào bù lái yī gè yě bù lái， jīn 'ér tā lái liǎo， míng 'ér wǒ zài lái， rú cǐ jiàncuò kāi liǎo lái zhe， qǐ bù tiān tiān yòu rén lái liǎo？ yě bù zhì yú tài lěng luò， yě bù zhì yú tài rè nào liǎo。 jiě jiě rú hé fǎn bù jiě zhè yì sī？”
bǎo yù yīn jiàn tā wài miàn zhào zhe dà hóng yǔ duàn duì jīn guà zǐ， yīn wèn：“ xià xuě liǎo me？ " dì xià pó niàn men dào：“ xià liǎo zhè bàn rì xuě zhū 'ér liǎo。” bǎo yù dào：“ qǔ liǎo wǒ de dǒu péng lái bù céng？ " dài yù biàn dào：“ shì bù shì， wǒ lái liǎo tā jiù gāi qù liǎo。” bǎo yù xiào dào：“ wǒ duō zǎo wǎn 'ér shuō yào qù liǎo？ bù guò ná lái yù bèi zhe。” bǎo yù de nǎi mǔ lǐ mó mó yīn shuō dào：“ tiān yòu xià xuě， yě hǎo zǎo wǎn de liǎo， jiù zài zhè lǐ tóng jiě jiě mèi mèi yī chù wán wán bà。 yí mā nà lǐ bǎi chá guǒ zǐ ní。 wǒ jiào yā tóu qù qǔ liǎo dǒu péng lái， shuō gěi xiǎo yāo 'ér men sàn liǎo bà。” bǎo yù yīngyǔn。 lǐ mó mó chū qù， mìng xiǎo sī mendōu gè sàn qù bù tí。
zhè lǐ xuē yí mā yǐ bǎi liǎo jǐ yàng xì chá guǒ lái liú tā men chī chá。 bǎo yù yīn kuā qián rì zài nà fǔ lǐ zhēn dà sǎo zǐ de hǎo 'é zhǎng yā xìn。 xuē yí mā tīng liǎo， máng yě bǎ zì jǐ zāo de qǔ liǎo xiē lái yǔ tā cháng。 bǎo yù xiào dào：“ zhè gè xū dé jiù jiǔ cái hǎo。” xuē yí mā biàn lìng rén qù guàn liǎo zuì shàng děng de jiǔ lái。 lǐ mó mó biàn shàng lái dào：“ yí tài tài， jiǔ dǎo bà liǎo。” bǎo yù yāng dào：“ mā mā， wǒ zhǐ hē yī zhōng。” lǐ mó mó dào：“ bù zhōng yòng！ dāng zhe lǎo tài tài， tài tài， nà pà nǐ chī yī tán ní。 xiǎng nà rì wǒ yǎn cuò bù jiàn yī huì， bù zhī shì nà yī gè méi diào jiào de， zhǐ tú tǎo nǐ de hǎo 'ér， bù guǎn bié rén sǐ huó， gěi liǎo nǐ yī kǒu jiǔ chī， zàng sòng de wǒ 'āi liǎo liǎng rì mà。 yí tài tài bù zhī dào， tā xìng zǐ yòu kěwù， chī liǎo jiǔ gèng nòng xìng。 yòu yī rì lǎo tài tài gāo xīng liǎo， yòu jìn zhe tā chī， shénme rì zǐ yòu bù xǔ tā chī， hé kǔ wǒ bái péi zài lǐ miàn。” xuē yí mā xiào dào：“ lǎo huò， nǐ zhǐ fàng xīn chī nǐ de qù。 wǒ yě bù xǔ tā chī duō liǎo。 biàn shì lǎo tài tài wèn， yòu wǒ ní。” yī miàn lìng xiǎo yā huán：“ lái， ràng nǐ nǎi nǎi men qù， yě chī bēi táng táng xuě qì。” nà lǐ mó mó tīng rú cǐ shuō， zhǐ dé hé zhòng rén qù chī xiē jiǔ shuǐ。 zhè lǐ bǎo yù yòu shuō：“ bù bì wēn nuǎn liǎo， wǒ zhǐ 'ài chī lěng de。” xuē yí mā máng dào：“ zhè kě shǐ bù dé， chī liǎo lěng jiǔ， xiě zì shǒu dǎ р ér。” bǎo chāi xiào dào：“ bǎo xiōng dì， kuī nǐ měi rì jiā zá xué bàng shōu de， nán dào jiù bù zhī dào jiǔ xìng zuì rè， ruò rè chī xià qù， fā sàn de jiù kuài， ruò lěng chī xià qù， biàn níng jié zài nèi， yǐ wǔ zàng qù nuǎn tā， qǐ bù shòu hài？ cóng cǐ hái bù kuài bù yào chī nà lěng de liǎo。” bǎo yù tīng zhè huà yòu qíng lǐ， biàn fàng xià lěng jiǔ， mìng rén nuǎn lái fāng yǐn。
dài yù kē zhe guā zǐ 'ér， zhǐ mǐn zhe zuǐ xiào。 kě qiǎo dài yù de xiǎo yā huán xuě yàn zǒu lái yǔ dài yù sòng xiǎo shǒu lú， dài yù yīn hán xiào wèn tā：“ shuí jiào nǐ sòng lái de？ nán wéi tā fèi xīn， nà lǐ jiù lěng sǐ liǎo wǒ！ " xuě yàn dào：“ zǐ juān jiě jiě pà gū niàn lěng， shǐ wǒ sòng lái de。” dài yù yī miàn jiē liǎo， bào zài huái zhōng， xiào dào：“ yě kuī nǐ dǎo tīng tā de huà。 wǒ píng rì hé nǐ shuō de， quán dāng 'ěr bàng fēng， zěn me tā shuō liǎo nǐ jiù yǐ， bǐ shèng zhǐ hái kuài xiē！ " bǎo yù tīng zhè huà， zhī shì dài yù jiè cǐ xī luò tā， yě wú huí fù zhī cí， zhǐ xī xī de xiào liǎng zhèn bà liǎo。 bǎo chāi sù zhī dài yù shì rú cǐ guàn liǎo de， yě bù qù cǎi tā。 xuē yí mā yīn dào：“ nǐ sù rì shēn zǐ ruò， jìn bù dé lěng de， tā men jì guà zhe nǐ dǎo bù hǎo？ " dài yù xiào dào：“ yí mā bù zhī dào。 xìng kuī shì yí mā zhè lǐ， cháng huò zài bié rén jiā， rén jiā qǐ bù nǎo？ hǎo shuō jiù kàn de rén jiā lián gè shǒu lú yě méi yòu， bā bā de cóng jiā lǐ sòng gè lái。 bù shuō yā huán men tài xiǎo xīn guò yú， hái zhǐ dāng wǒ sù rì shì zhè děng qīng kuáng guàn liǎo ní。” xuē yí mā dào：“ nǐ zhè gè duō xīn de， yòu zhè yàng xiǎng， wǒ jiù méi zhè yàng xīn。”
shuō huà shí， bǎo yù yǐ shì sān bēi guò qù。 lǐ mó mó yòu shàng lái lán zǔ。 bǎo yù zhèng zài xīn tián yì qià zhī shí， hé bǎo dài zǐ mèi shuō shuō xiào xiào de， nà kěn bù chī。 bǎo yù zhǐ dé qū yì yāng gào：“ hǎo mā mā， wǒ zài chī liǎng zhōng jiù bù chī liǎo。” lǐ mó mó dào：“ nǐ kě zǎi xì lǎo yé jīn 'ér zài jiā， с fáng wèn nǐ de shū！ " bǎo yù tīng liǎo zhè huà， biàn xīn zhōng dà bù zì zài， màn màn de fàng xià jiǔ， chuí liǎo tóu。 dài yù xiān máng de shuō：“ bié sǎo dà jiā de xīng！ jiù jiù ruò jiào nǐ， zhǐ shuō yí mā liú zhe ní。 zhè gè mā mā， tā chī liǎo jiǔ， yòu ná wǒ men lái xǐng pí liǎo！ " yī miàn qiǎo tuī bǎo yù， shǐ tā dǔ qì， yī miàn qiāoqiāo de gū nóng shuō：“ bié lǐ nà lǎo huò， zán men zhǐ guǎn lè zán men de。” nà lǐ mó mó bù zhī dài yù de yì sī， yīn shuō dào：“ lín jiě 'ér， nǐ bù yào zhù zhe tā liǎo。 nǐ dǎo quàn quàn tā， zhǐ pà tā hái tīng xiē。” lín dài yù lěng xiào dào：“ wǒ wèishénme zhù tā？ wǒ yě bù fàn zhe quàn tā。 nǐ zhè mā mā tài xiǎo xīn liǎo， wǎng cháng lǎo tài tài yòu gěi tā jiǔ chī， rú jīn zài yí mā zhè lǐ duō chī yī kǒu， liào yě bù fáng shì。 bì dìng yí mā zhè lǐ shì wài rén， bù dāng zài zhè lǐ de yě wèi kě dìng。” lǐ mó mó tīng liǎo， yòu shì jí， yòu shì xiào， shuō dào：“ zhēn zhēn zhè lín jiě 'ér， shuō chū yī jù huà lái， bǐ dāo zǐ hái jiān。 nǐ zhè suàn liǎo shénme。” bǎo chāi yě rěn bù zhù xiào zhe， bǎ dài yù sāi shàng yī níng， shuō dào：“ zhēn zhēn zhè gè pín yā tóu de yī zhāng zuǐ， jiào rén hèn yòu bù shì， xǐ huān yòu bù shì。” xuē yí mā yī miàn yòu shuō：“ bié pà， bié pà， wǒ de 'ér！ lái zhè lǐ méi hǎo de nǐ chī， bié bǎ zhè diǎn zǐ dōng xī hǔ de cún zài xīn lǐ， dǎo jiào wǒ bù 'ān。 zhǐ guǎn fàng xīn chī， dōuyòu wǒ ní。 yuè fā chī liǎo wǎn fàn qù， biàn zuì liǎo， jiù gēn zhe wǒ shuì bà。” yīn mìng：“ zài tàng rè jiǔ lái！ yí mā péi nǐ chī liǎng bēi， kě jiù chī fàn bà。” bǎo yù tīng liǎo， fāng yòu gǔ qǐ xīng lái。
lǐ mó mó yīn fēn fù xiǎo yā tóu zǐ men：“ nǐ men zài zhè lǐ xiǎo xīn zhe， wǒ jiā lǐ huàn liǎo yī fú jiù lái， qiāoqiāo de huí yí tài tài， bié yóu zhe tā， duō gěi tā chī。” shuō zhe biàn jiā qù liǎo。 zhè lǐ suī hái yòu sān liǎng gè pó zǐ， dōushì bù guān tòng yǎng de， jiàn lǐ mó mó zǒu liǎo， yědōu qiāoqiāo qù xún fāng biàn qù liǎo。 zhǐ shèng liǎo liǎng gè xiǎo yā tóu zǐ， lè dé tǎo bǎo yù de huān xǐ。 xìng 'ér xuē yí mā qiān hōng wàn hōng de， zhǐ róng tā chī liǎo jǐ bēi， jiù máng shōu guò liǎo。 zuò suān sǔn jī pí tānɡ， bǎo yù tòng hē liǎo liǎng wǎn， chī liǎo bàn wǎn bì jīng yù。 yī shí xuē lín 'èr rén yě chī wán liǎo fàn， yòu yàn yàn de qī shàng chá lái dà jiā chī liǎo。 xuē yí mā fāng fàng liǎo xīn。 xuě yàn děng sān sì gè yā tóu yǐ chī liǎo fàn， jìn lái cìhou。 dài yù yīn wèn bǎo yù dào：“ nǐ zǒu bù zǒu？ " bǎo yù miē xié juàn yǎn dào：“ nǐ yào zǒu， wǒ hé nǐ yī tóng zǒu。” dài yù tīng shuō， suì qǐ shēn dào：“ zán men lái liǎo zhè yī rì， yě gāi huí qù liǎo。 hái bù zhī nà biān zěn me zhǎo zán men ní。” shuō zhe， èr rén biàn gào cí。
xiǎo yā tóu máng pěng guò dǒu lì lái， bǎo yù biàn bǎ tóu lüè dī yī dī， mìng tā dài shàng。 nà yā tóu biàn jiāng zhe dà hóng xīng zhān dǒu lì yī dǒu， cái wǎng bǎo yù tóu shàng yī hé， bǎo yù biàn shuō：“ bà， bà！ hǎo chǔn dōng xī， nǐ yě qīng xiē 'ér！ nán dào méi jiàn guò bié rén dài guò de？ ràng wǒ zì jǐ dài bà。” dài yù zhàn zài kàng yán shàng dào：“ luó suō shénme， guò lái， wǒ qiáo qiáo bà。” bǎo yù máng jiù jìn qián lái。 dài yù yòng shǒu zhěng lǐ， qīng qīng lóng zhù shùfà guān， jiāng lì yán yè zài mǒ 'é zhī shàng， jiāng nà yī kē hé táo dà de jiàng róng zān yīng fú qǐ， chàn wēi wēi lù yú lì wài。 zhěng lǐ yǐ bì， duān xiāng liǎo duān xiāng， shuō dào：“ hǎo liǎo， pī shàng dǒu péng bà。” bǎo yù tīng liǎo， fāng jiē liǎo dǒu péng pī shàng。 xuē yí mā máng dào：“ gēn nǐ men de mā mā dū hái méi lái ní， qiě lüè děng děng bù chí。” bǎo yù dào：“ wǒ men dǎo qù děng tā men， yòu yā tóu men gēn zhe yě gòu liǎo。” xuē yí mā bù fàng xīn， dào dǐ mìng liǎng gè fù nǚ gēn suí tā xiōng mèi fāng bà。 tā 'èr rén dào liǎo rǎo， yī jìng huí zhì jiǎ mǔ fáng zhōng。
jiǎ mǔ shàng wèi yòng wǎn fàn， zhī shì xuē yí mā chù lái， gèng jiā xǐ huān。 yīn jiàn bǎo yù chī liǎo jiǔ， suì mìng tā zì huí fáng qù xiē zhe， bù xǔ zài chū lái liǎo。 yīn mìng rén hǎo shēng kàn shì zhe。 hū xiǎng qǐ gēn bǎo yù de rén lái， suì wèn zhòng rén：“ lǐ nǎi zǐ zěn me bù jiàn？ " zhòng rén bù gǎn zhí shuō jiā qù liǎo， zhǐ shuō：“ cái jìn lái de， xiǎng yòu shì cái qù liǎo。” bǎo yù liàngqiàng huí tóu dào：“ tā bǐ lǎo tài tài hái shòu yòng ní， wèn tā zuò shénme！ méi yòu tā zhǐ pà wǒ hái duō huó liǎng rì。” yī miàn shuō， yī miàn lái zhì zì jǐ de wò shì。 zhǐ jiàn bǐ mò zài 'àn， qíng wén xiān jiē chū lái， xiào shuō dào：“ hǎo， hǎo， yào wǒ yán liǎo nà xiē mò， zǎo qǐ gāo xīng， zhǐ xiě liǎo sān gè zì， diū xià bǐ jiù zǒu liǎo， hōng de wǒ men děng liǎo yī rì。 kuài lái yǔ wǒ xiě wán zhè xiē mò cái bà！ " bǎo yù hū rán xiǎng qǐ zǎo qǐ de shì lái， yīn xiào dào：“ wǒ xiě de nà sān gè zì zài nà lǐ ní？ " qíng wén xiào dào：“ zhè gè rén kě zuì liǎo。 nǐ tóu lǐ guò nà fǔ lǐ qù， zhǔ fù tiē zài zhè mén dǒu shàng， zhè huì zǐ yòu zhè me wèn。 wǒ shēng pà bié rén tiē huài liǎo， wǒ qīn zì pá gāo shàng tī de tiē shàng， zhè huì zǐ hái dòng de shǒu jiāng lěng de ní。” bǎo yù tīng liǎo， xiào dào：“ wǒ wàng liǎo。 nǐ de shǒu lěng， wǒ tì nǐ wò zhe。” shuō zhe biàn shēn shǒu xié liǎo qíng wén de shǒu， tóng yǎng shǒu kānmén dǒu shàng xīn shū de sān gè zì。
yī shí dài yù lái liǎo， bǎo yù xiào dào：“ hǎo mèi mèi， nǐ bié sǎ huǎng， nǐ kàn zhè sān gè zì nà yī gè hǎo？ " dài yù yǎng tóu kàn lǐ jiān mén dǒu shàng， xīn tiē liǎo sān gè zì， xiě zhe " jiàng yún xuān "。 dài yù xiào dào：“ gè gèdōu hǎo。 zěn me xiě de zhè men hǎo liǎo？ míng 'ér yě yǔ wǒ xiě yī gè biǎn。” bǎo yù xī xī de xiào dào：“ yòu hǒngwǒ ní。” shuō zhe yòu wèn：“ xí rén jiě jiě ní？ " qíng wén xiàng lǐ jiān kàng shàng nǔ zuǐ。 bǎo yù yī kàn， zhǐ jiàn xí rén hé yī shuì zhe zài nà lǐ。 bǎo yù xiào dào：“ hǎo， tài wò zǎo liǎo xiē。” yīn yòu wèn qíng wén dào：“ jīn 'ér wǒ zài nà fǔ lǐ chī zǎo fàn， yòu yī dié zǐ dòu fǔ pí de bāo zǐ， wǒ xiǎng zhe nǐ 'ài chī， hé zhēn dà nǎi nǎi shuō liǎo， zhǐ shuō wǒ liú zhe wǎn shàng chī， jiào rén sòng guò lái de， nǐ kě chī liǎo？ " qíng wén dào：“ kuài bié tí。 yī sòng liǎo lái， wǒ zhī dào shì wǒ de， piān wǒ cái chī liǎo fàn， jiù fàng zài nà lǐ。 hòu lái lǐ nǎi nǎi lái liǎo kàn jiàn， shuō： ‘ bǎo yù wèi bì chī liǎo， ná liǎo gěi wǒ sūn zǐ chī qù bà。 ’ tā jiù jiào rén ná liǎo jiā qù liǎo。” jiē zhe qiàn xuě pěng shàng chá lái。 bǎo yù yīn ràng " lín mèi mèi chī chá。” zhòng rén xiào shuō：“ lín mèi mèi zǎo zǒu liǎo， hái ràng ní。”
bǎo yù chī liǎo bàn wǎn chá， hū yòu xiǎng qǐ zǎo qǐ de chá lái， yīn wèn qiàn xuě dào：“ zǎo qǐ qī liǎo yī wǎn fēng lù chá， wǒ shuō guò， nà chá shì sān sì cì hòu cái chū sè de， zhè huì zǐ zěn me yòu qī liǎo zhè gè lái？ " qiàn xuě dào：“ wǒ yuán shì liú zhe de， nà huì zǐ lǐ nǎi nǎi lái liǎo， tā yào cháng cháng， jiù gěi tā chī liǎo。” bǎo yù tīng liǎo， jiāng shǒu zhōng de chá bēi zhǐ shùn shǒu wǎng dì xià yī zhì， huò lāng yī shēng， dǎ liǎo gè fěn suì， pō liǎo qiàn xuě yī qún zǐ de chá。 yòu tiào qǐ lái wèn zhe qiàn xuě dào：“ tā shì nǐ nà yī mén zǐ de nǎi nǎi， nǐ men zhè me xiào jìng tā？ bù guò shì zhàng zhe wǒ xiǎo shí hòu chī guò tā jǐ rì nǎi bà liǎo。 rú jīn chěng de tā bǐ zǔ zōng hái dà liǎo。 rú jīn wǒ yòu chī bù zhe nǎi liǎo， bái bái de yǎng zhe zǔ zōng zuò shénme！ niǎn liǎo chū qù， dà jiā gān jìng！ " shuō zhe biàn yào qù lì kè huí jiǎ mǔ， niǎn tā rǔ mǔ。 yuán lái xí rén shí wèi shuì zhe， bù guò gù yì zhuāng shuì， yǐn bǎo yù lái 'òu tā wán shuǎ。 xiān wén dé shuō zì wèn bāo zǐ děng shì， yě hái kě bù bì qǐ lái， hòu lái shuāi liǎo chá zhōng， dòng liǎo qì， suì lián máng qǐ lái jiě shì quàn zǔ。 zǎo yòu jiǎ mǔ qiǎn rén lái wèn shì zěn me liǎo。 xí rén máng dào：“ wǒ cái dàochá lái， bèi xuě huá dǎo liǎo， shī shǒu zá liǎo zhōng zǐ。” yī miàn yòu 'ān wèi bǎo yù dào：“ nǐ lì yì yào niǎn tā yě hǎo， wǒ men yědōu yuàn yì chū qù， bù rú chèn shì lián wǒ men yī qí niǎn liǎo， wǒ men yě hǎo， nǐ yě bù chóu zài yòu hǎo de lái fú shì nǐ。” bǎo yù tīng liǎo zhè huà， fāng wú liǎo yán yǔ， bèi xí rén děng fú zhì kàng shàng， tuō huàn liǎo yī fú。 bù zhī bǎo yù kǒu nèi hái shuō xiē shénme， zhǐ jué kǒu chǐ chán mián， yǎn méi yù jiā xíng sè， máng fú shì tā shuì xià。 xí rén shēn shǒu cóng tā xiàng shàng zhāi xià nà tōng líng yù lái， yòng zì jǐ de shǒu pà bāo hǎo， sài zài rù xià， cì rì dài shí biàn bīng bù zhe bó zǐ。 nà bǎo yù jiù zhěn biàn shuì zhe liǎo。 bǐ shí lǐ mó mó děng yǐ jìn lái liǎo， tīng jiàn zuì liǎo， bù gǎn qián lái zài jiā chù fàn， zhǐ qiāoqiāo de dǎ tīng shuì liǎo， fāng fàng xīn sàn qù。
cì rì xǐng lái， jiù yòu rén huí：“ nà biān xiǎo róng dà yé dài liǎo qín xiāng gōng lái bài。” bǎo yù máng jiē liǎo chū qù， lǐng liǎo bài jiàn jiǎ mǔ。 jiǎ mǔ jiàn qín zhōng xíng róng biāo zhì， jǔ zhǐ wēn róu， kān péi bǎo yù dú shū， xīn zhōng shí fēn huān xǐ， biàn liú chá liú fàn， yòu mìng rén dài qù jiàn wáng fū rén děng。 zhòng rén yīn sù 'ài qín shì， jīn jiàn liǎo qín zhōng shì zhè bān rén pǐn， yědōu huān xǐ， lín qù shí dōuyòu biǎo lǐ。 jiǎ mǔ yòu yǔ liǎo yī gè hé bāo bìng yī gè jīn kuí xīng， qǔ " wén xīng hé hé " zhī yì。 yòu zhǔ fù tā dào：“ nǐ jiā zhù de yuǎn， huò yòu yī shí hán rè jī bǎo bù biàn， zhǐ guǎn zhù zài zhè lǐ， bù bì xiàn dìng liǎo。 zhǐ hé nǐ bǎo shū zài yī chù， bié gēn zhe nà xiē bù cháng jìn de dōng xī men xué。” qín zhōng yī yī de dāyìng， huí qù bǐng zhī。
tā fù qīn qín yè xiàn rèn yíng shàn láng， nián jìn qī shí， fū rén zǎo wáng。 yīn dāng nián wú 'ér nǚ， biàn xiàng yǎng shēng táng bào liǎo yī gè 'ér zǐ bìng yī gè nǚ 'ér。 shuí zhī 'ér zǐ yòu sǐ liǎo， zhǐ shèng nǚ 'ér， xiǎo míng huàn kě 'ér， zhǎngdà shí， shēng de xíng róng niǎonuó， xìng gé fēng liú。 yīn sù yǔ jiǎ jiā yòu xiē guā gé， gù jié liǎo qīn， xǔ yǔ jiǎ róng wéi qī。 nà qín yè zhì wǔ xún zhī shàng fāng dé liǎo qín zhōng。 yīn qù suì yè shī wáng gù， wèi xiá yán qǐng gāo míng zhī shì， zhǐ dé zàn shí zài jiā wēn xí jiù kè。 zhèng sī yào hé qìngjiā qù shāng yì sòng wǎng tā jiā shú zhōng， zàn qiě bù zhì huāng fèi， kě qiǎo yù jiàn liǎo bǎo yù zhè gè jī huì。 yòu zhī jiǎ jiā shú zhōng xiàn jīn sī shú de shì jiǎ dài rú， nǎi dāng jīn zhī lǎo rú， qín zhōng cǐ qù， xué yè liào bì jìn yì， chéng míng kě wàng， yīn cǐ shí fēn xǐ yuè。 zhǐ shì huàn náng xiū sè， nà jiǎ jiā shàng shàng xià xià dōushì yī shuāng fù guì yǎn jīng， róng yì ná bù chū lái， wéi 'ér zǐ de zhōng shēn dà shì， shuō bù dé dōng pīn xī còu de gōng gōng jìng jìng fēng liǎo 'èr shí sì liǎng zhì jiàn lǐ， qīn zì dài liǎo qín zhōng， lái dài rú jiā bài jiàn liǎo。 rán hòu tīng bǎo yù shàng xué zhī rì， hǎo yī tóng rù shú。 zhèng shì：
zǎo zhī rì hòu xián zhēng qì， qǐ kěn jīnzhāo cuò dú shū。
By a strange coincidence, Chia Pao-yue becomes acquainted with the golden clasp. In an unexpected meeting, Hsueeh Pao-ch'ai sees the jade of spiritual perception.
Pao-yue and lady Feng, we will now explain, paid, on their return home, their respects to all the inmates, and Pao-yue availed himself of the first occasion to tell dowager lady Chia of his wish that Ch'in Chung should come over to the family school. "The presence for himself of a friend as schoolmate would," he argued, "be fitly excellent to stir him to zeal," and he went on to speak in terms of high praise of Ch'in Chung, his character and his manners, which most of all made people esteem him.
Lady Feng besides stood by him and backed his request. "In a day or two," she added, "Ch'in Chung will be coming to pay his obeisance to your venerable ladyship."
This bit of news greatly rejoiced the heart of dowager lady Chia, and lady Feng likewise did not let the opportunity slip, without inviting the old lady to attend the theatrical performance to come off the day after the morrow. Dowager lady Chia was, it is true, well on in years, but was, nevertheless, very fond of enjoyment, so that when the day arrived and Mrs. Yu came over to invite her round, she forthwith took madame Wang, Lin Tai-yue, Pao-yue and others along and went to the play.
It was about noon, when dowager lady Chia returned to her apartments for her siesta; and madame Wang, who was habitually partial to a quiet life, also took her departure after she had seen the old lady retire. Lady Feng subsequently took the seat of honour; and the party enjoyed themselves immensely till the evening, when they broke up.
But to return to Pao-yue. Having accompanied his grandmother Chia back home, and waited till her ladyship was in her midday sleep, he had in fact an inclination to return to the performance, but he was afraid lest he should be a burden to Mrs. Ch'in and the rest and lest they should not feel at ease. Remembering therefore that Pao Ch'ai had been at home unwell for the last few days, and that he had not been to see her, he was anxious to go and look her up, but he dreaded that if he went by the side gate, at the back of the drawing-room, he would be prevented by something or other, and fearing, what would be making matters worse, lest he should come across his father, he consequently thought it better to go on his way by a detour. The nurses and waiting-maids thereupon came to help him to change his clothes; but they saw him not change, but go out again by the second door. These nurses and maids could not help following him out; but they were still under the impression that he was going over to the other mansion to see the theatricals. Contrary to their speculations, upon reaching the entrance hall, he forthwith went to the east, then turned to the north, and walking round by the rear of the hall, he happened to come face to face with two of the family companions, Mr. Ch'an Kuang, and Mr. Tan T'ing-jen. As soon as they caught sight of Pao-yue, they both readily drew up to him, and as they smiled, the one put his arm round his waist, while the other grasped him by the hand.
"Oh divine brother!" they both exclaimed, "this we call dreaming a pleasant dream, for it's no easy thing to come across you!"
While continuing their remarks they paid their salutations, and inquired after his health; and it was only after they had chatted for ever so long, that they went on their way. The nurse called out to them and stopped them, "Have you two gentlemen," she said, "come out from seeing master?"
They both nodded assent. "Your master," they explained, "is in the Meng P'o Chai small library having his siesta; so that you can go through there with no fear."
As they uttered these words, they walked away.
This remark also evoked a smile from Pao-yue, but without further delay he turned a corner, went towards the north, and came into the Pear Fragrance Court, where, as luck would have it, he met the head manager of the Household Treasury, Wu Hsin-teng, who, in company with the head of the granary, Tai Liang, and several other head stewards, seven persons in all, was issuing out of the Account Room.
On seeing Pao-yue approaching, they, in a body, stood still, and hung down their arms against their sides. One of them alone, a certain butler, called Ch'ien Hua, promptly came forward, as he had not seen Pao-yue for many a day, and bending on one knee, paid his respects to Pao-yue. Pao-yue at once gave a smile and pulled him up.
"The day before yesterday," smiled all the bystanders, "we were somewhere together and saw some characters written by you, master Secundus, in the composite style. The writing is certainly better than it was before! When will you give us a few sheets to stick on the wall?"
"Where did you see them?" inquired Pao-yue, with a grin.
"They are to be found in more than one place," they replied, "and every one praises them very much, and what's more, asks us for a few."
"They are not worth having," observed Pao-yue smilingly; "but if you do want any, tell my young servants and it will be all right."
As he said these words, he moved onwards. The whole party waited till he had gone by, before they separated, each one to go his own way.
But we need not dilate upon matters of no moment, but return to Pao-yue.
On coming to the Pear Fragrance Court, he entered, first, into "aunt" Hsueeh's room, where he found her getting some needlework ready to give to the waiting-maids to work at. Pao-yue forthwith paid his respects to her, and "aunt" Hsueeh, taking him by the hand, drew him towards her and clasped him in her embrace.
"With this cold weather," she smilingly urged, "it's too kind of you, my dear child, to think of coming to see me; come along on the stove-couch at once!--Bring some tea," she continued, addressing the servants, "and make it as hot as it can be!"
"Isn't Hsueeh P'an at home?" Pao-yue having inquired: "He's like a horse without a halter," Mrs. Hsueeh remarked with a sigh; "he's daily running here and there and everywhere, and nothing can induce him to stay at home one single day."
"Is sister (Pao Ch'ai) all right again?" asked Pao-yue. "Yes," replied Mrs. Hsueeh, "she's well again. It was very kind of you two days ago to again think of her, and send round to inquire after her. She's now in there, and you can go and see her. It's warmer there than it's here; go and sit with her inside, and, as soon as I've put everything away, I'll come and join you and have a chat."
Pao-yue, upon hearing this, jumped down with alacrity from the stove-couch, and walked up to the door of the inner room, where he saw hanging a portiere somewhat the worse for use, made of red silk. Pao-yue raised the portiere and making one step towards the interior, he found Pao Ch'ai seated on the couch, busy over some needlework. On the top of her head was gathered, and made into a knot, her chevelure, black as lacquer, and glossy like pomade. She wore a honey-coloured wadded robe, a rose-brown short-sleeved jacket, lined with the fur of the squirrel of two colours: the "gold and silver;" and a jupe of leek-yellow silk. Her whole costume was neither too new, neither too old, and displayed no sign of extravagance.
Her lips, though not rouged, were naturally red; her eyebrows, though not pencilled, were yet blue black; her face resembled a silver basin, and her eyes, juicy plums. She was sparing in her words, chary in her talk, so much so that people said that she posed as a simpleton. She was quiet in the acquittal of her duties and scrupulous as to the proper season for everything. "I practise simplicity," she would say of herself.
"How are you? are you quite well again, sister?" inquired Pao-yue, as he gazed at her; whereupon Pao Ch'ai raised her head, and perceiving Pao-yue walk in, she got up at once and replied with a smile, "I'm all right again; many thanks for your kindness in thinking of me."
While uttering this, she pressed him to take a seat on the stove-couch, and as he sat down on the very edge of the couch, she told Ying Erh to bring tea and asked likewise after dowager lady Chia and lady Feng. "And are all the rest of the young ladies quite well?" she inquired.
Saying this she scrutinised Pao-yue, who she saw had a head-dress of purplish-gold twisted threads, studded with precious stones. His forehead was bound with a gold circlet, representing two dragons, clasping a pearl. On his person he wore a light yellow, archery-sleeved jacket, ornamented with rampant dragons, and lined with fur from the ribs of the silver fox; and was clasped with a dark sash, embroidered with different-coloured butterflies and birds. Round his neck was hung an amulet, consisting of a clasp of longevity, a talisman of recorded name, and, in addition to these, the precious jade which he had had in his mouth at the time of his birth.
"I've daily heard every one speak of this jade," said Pao Ch'ai with a smile, "but haven't, after all, had an opportunity of looking at it closely, but anyhow to-day I must see it."
As she spoke, she drew near. Pao-yue himself approached, and taking it from his neck, he placed it in Pao Ch'ai's hand. Pao Ch'ai held it in her palm. It appeared to her very much like the egg of a bird, resplendent as it was like a bright russet cloud; shiny and smooth like variegated curd and covered with a net for the sake of protection.
Readers, you should know that this was the very block of useless stone which had been on the Ta Huang Hills, and which had dropped into the Ch'ing Keng cave, in a state of metamorphosis. A later writer expresses his feelings in a satirical way as follows:
Nue Wo's fusion of stones was e'er a myth inane, But from this myth hath sprung fiction still more insane! Lost is the subtle life, divine, and real!--gone! Assumed, mean subterfuge! foul bags of skin and bone! Fortune, when once adverse, how true! gold glows no more! In evil days, alas! the jade's splendour is o'er! Bones, white and bleached, in nameless hill-like mounds are flung, Bones once of youths renowned and maidens fair and young.
The rejected stone has in fact already given a record of the circumstances of its transformation, and the inscription in seal characters, engraved upon it by the bald-headed bonze, and below will now be also appended a faithful representation of it; but its real size is so very diminutive, as to allow of its being held by a child in his mouth while yet unborn, that were it to have been drawn in its exact proportions, the characters would, it is feared, have been so insignificant in size, that the beholder would have had to waste much of his eyesight, and it would besides have been no pleasant thing.
While therefore its shape has been adhered to, its size has unavoidably been slightly enlarged, to admit of the reader being able, conveniently, to peruse the inscription, even by very lamplight, and though he may be under the influence of wine.
These explanations have been given to obviate any such sneering remarks as: "What could be, pray, the size of the mouth of a child in his mother's womb, and how could it grasp such a large and clumsy thing?"
On the face of the jade was written:
Precious Gem of Spiritual Perception. If thou wilt lose me not and never forget me, Eternal life and constant luck will be with thee!
On the reverse was written:
1 To exorcise evil spirits and the accessory visitations; 2 To cure predestined sickness; 3 To prognosticate weal and woe.
Pao Ch'ai having looked at the amulet, twisted it again to the face, and scrutinising it closely, read aloud:
If thou wilt lose me not and never forget me, Eternal life and constant luck will be with thee!
She perused these lines twice, and, turning round, she asked Ying Erh laughingly: "Why don't you go and pour the tea? what are you standing here like an idiot!"
"These two lines which I've heard," smiled Ying Erh, "would appear to pair with the two lines on your necklet, miss!"
"What!" eagerly observed Pao-yue with a grin, when he caught these words, "are there really eight characters too on your necklet, cousin? do let me too see it."
"Don't listen to what she says," remarked Pao Ch'ai, "there are no characters on it."
"My dear cousin," pleaded Pao-yue entreatingly, "how is it you've seen mine?"
Pao Ch'ai was brought quite at bay by this remark of his, and she consequently added, "There are also two propitious phrases engraved on this charm, and that's why I wear it every day. Otherwise, what pleasure would there be in carrying a clumsy thing."
As she spoke, she unfastened the button, and produced from inside her crimson robe, a crystal-like locket, set with pearls and gems, and with a brilliant golden fringe. Pao-yue promptly received it from her, and upon minute examination, found that there were in fact four characters on each side; the eight characters on both sides forming two sentences of good omen. The similitude of the locket is likewise then given below. On the face of the locket is written:
"Part not from me and cast me not away;"
And on the reverse:
"And youth, perennial freshness will display!"
Pao-yue examined the charm, and having also read the inscription twice over aloud, and then twice again to himself, he said as he smiled, "Dear cousin, these eight characters of yours form together with mine an antithetical verse."
"They were presented to her," ventured Ying Erh, "by a mangy-pated bonze, who explained that they should be engraved on a golden trinket...."
Pao Ch'ai left her no time to finish what she wished to say, but speedily called her to task for not going to bring the tea, and then inquired of Pao-yue "Where he had come from?"
Pao-yue had, by this time, drawn quite close to Pao Ch'ai, and perceived whiff after whiff of some perfume or other, of what kind he could not tell. "What perfume have you used, my cousin," he forthwith asked, "to fumigate your dresses with? I really don't remember smelling any perfumery of the kind before."
"I'm very averse," replied Pao Ch'ai blandly, "to the odour of fumigation; good clothes become impregnated with the smell of smoke."
"In that case," observed Pao-yue, "what scent is it?"
"Yes, I remember," Pao Ch'ai answered, after some reflection; "it's the scent of the 'cold fragrance' pills which I took this morning."
"What are these cold fragrance pills," remarked Pao-yue smiling, "that they have such a fine smell? Give me, cousin, a pill to try."
"Here you are with your nonsense again," Pao Ch'ai rejoined laughingly; "is a pill a thing to be taken recklessly?"
She had scarcely finished speaking, when she heard suddenly some one outside say, "Miss Lin is come;" and shortly Lin Tai-yue walked in in a jaunty manner.
"Oh, I come at a wrong moment!" she exclaimed forthwith, smirking significantly when she caught sight of Pao-yue.
Pao-yue and the rest lost no time in rising and offering her a seat, whereupon Pao Ch'ai added with a smile, "How can you say such things?"
"Had I known sooner," continued Tai-yue, "that he was here, I would have kept away."
"I can't fathom this meaning of yours," protested Pao Ch'ai.
"If one comes," Tai-yue urged smiling, "then all come, and when one doesn't come, then no one comes. Now were he to come to-day, and I to come to-morrow, wouldn't there be, by a division of this kind, always some one with you every day? and in this way, you wouldn't feel too lonely, nor too crowded. How is it, cousin, that you didn't understand what I meant to imply?"
"Is it snowing?" inquired Pao-yue, upon noticing that she wore a cloak made of crimson camlet, buttoning in front.
"It has been snowing for some time," ventured the matrons, who were standing below. "Fetch my wrapper!" Pao-yue remarked, and Tai-yue readily laughed. "Am I not right? I come, and, of course, he must go at once."
"Did I ever mention that I was going?" questioned Pao-yue; "I only wish it brought to have it ready when I want it."
"It's a snowy day," consequently remarked Pao-yue's nurse, dame Li, "and we must also look to the time, but you had better remain here and amuse yourself with your cousin. Your aunt has, in there, got ready tea and fruits. I'll tell the waiting-maid to go and fetch your wrapper and the boys to return home." Pao-yue assented, and nurse Li left the room and told the boys that they were at liberty to go.
By this time Mrs. Hsueeh had prepared tea and several kinds of nice things and kept them all to partake of those delicacies. Pao-yue, having spoken highly of some goose feet and ducks' tongues he had tasted some days before, at his eldest sister-in-law's, Mrs. Yu's, "aunt" Hsueeh promptly produced several dishes of the same kind, made by herself, and gave them to Pao-yue to try. "With a little wine," added Pao-yue with a smile, "they would be first rate."
Mrs. Hsueeh thereupon bade the servants fetch some wine of the best quality; but dame Li came forward and remonstrated. "My lady," she said, "never mind the wine."
Pao-yue smilingly pleaded: "My nurse, I'll take just one cup and no more."
"It's no use," nurse Li replied, "were your grandmother and mother present, I wouldn't care if you drank a whole jar. I remember the day when I turned my eyes away but for a moment, and some ignorant fool or other, merely with the view of pandering for your favour, gave you only a drop of wine to drink, and how this brought reproaches upon me for a couple of days. You don't know, my lady, you have no idea of his disposition! it's really dreadful; and when he has had a little wine he shows far more temper. On days when her venerable ladyship is in high spirits, she allows him to have his own way about drinking, but he's not allowed to have wine on any and every day; and why should I have to suffer inside and all for nothing at all?"
"You antiquated thing!" replied Mrs. Hsueeh laughing, "set your mind at ease, and go and drink your own wine! I won't let him have too much, and should even the old lady say anything, let the fault be mine."
Saying this, she asked a waiting-maid to take nurse Li along with her and give her also a glass of wine so as to keep out the cold air.
When nurse Li heard these words, she had no alternative but to go for a time with all the others and have some wine to drink.
"The wine need not be warmed: I prefer it cold!" Pao-yue went on to suggest meanwhile.
"That won't do," remonstrated Mrs. Hsueeh; "cold wine will make your hand tremble when you write."
"You have," interposed Pao Ch'ai smiling, "the good fortune, cousin Pao-yue, of having daily opportunities of acquiring a knowledge of every kind of subject, and yet don't you know that the properties of wine are mostly heating? If you drink wine warm, its effects soon dispel, but if you drink it cold, it at once congeals in you; and as upon your intestines devolves the warming of it, how can you not derive any harm? and won't you yet from this time change this habit of yours? leave off at once drinking that cold wine."
Pao-yue finding that the words he had heard contained a good deal of sense, speedily put down the cold wine, and having asked them to warm it, he at length drank it.
Tai-yue was bent upon cracking melon seeds, saying nothing but simply pursing up her lips and smiling, when, strange coincidence, Hsueeh Yen, Tai-yue's waiting-maid, walked in and handed her mistress a small hand-stove.
"Who told you to bring it?" ascertained Tai-yue grinningly. "I'm sorry to have given whoever it is the trouble; I'm obliged to her. But did she ever imagine that I would freeze to death?"
"Tzu Chuan was afraid," replied Hsueeh Yen, "that you would, miss, feel cold, and she asked me to bring it over."
Tai-yue took it over and held it in her lap. "How is it," she smiled, "that you listen to what she tells you, but that you treat what I say, day after day, as so much wind blowing past your ears! How is it that you at once do what she bids you, with even greater alacrity than you would an imperial edict?"
When Pao-yue heard this, he felt sure in his mind that Tai-yue was availing herself of this opportunity to make fun of him, but he made no remark, merely laughing to himself and paying no further notice. Pao Ch'ai, again, knew full well that this habit was a weak point with Tai-yue, so she too did not go out of her way to heed what she said.
"You've always been delicate and unable to stand the cold," interposed "aunt" Hsueeh, "and is it not a kind attention on their part to have thought of you?"
"You don't know, aunt, how it really stands," responded Tai-yue smilingly; "fortunately enough, it was sent to me here at your quarters; for had it been in any one else's house, wouldn't it have been a slight upon them? Is it forsooth nice to think that people haven't so much as a hand-stove, and that one has fussily to be sent over from home? People won't say that the waiting-maids are too officious, but will imagine that I'm in the habit of behaving in this offensive fashion."
"You're far too punctilious," remarked Mrs. Hsueeh, "as to entertain such notions! No such ideas as these crossed my mind just now."
While they were conversing, Pao-yue had taken so much as three cups of wine, and nurse Li came forward again to prevent him from having any more. Pao-yue was just then in a state of exultation and excitement, (a state) enhanced by the conversation and laughter of his cousins, so that was he ready to agree to having no more! But he was constrained in a humble spirit to entreat for permission. "My dear nurse," he implored, "I'll just take two more cups and then have no more."
"You'd better be careful," added nurse Li, "your father is at home to-day, and see that you're ready to be examined in your lessons."
When Pao-yue heard this mention, his spirits at once sank within him, and gently putting the wine aside, he dropped his head upon his breast.
Tai-yue promptly remonstrated. "You've thrown cold water," she said, "over the spirits of the whole company; why, if uncle should ask to see you, well, say that aunt Hsueeh detained you. This old nurse of yours has been drinking, and again makes us the means of clearing her muddled head!"
While saying this, she gave Pao-yue a big nudge with the intent of stirring up his spirits, adding, as she addressed him in a low tone of voice: "Don't let us heed that old thing, but mind our own enjoyment."
Dame Li also knew very well Tai-yue's disposition, and therefore remarked: "Now, Miss Lin, don't you urge him on; you should after all, give him good advice, as he may, I think, listen to a good deal of what you say to him."
"Why should I urge him on?" rejoined Lin Tai-yue, with a sarcastic smile, "nor will I trouble myself to give him advice. You, old lady, are far too scrupulous! Old lady Chia has also time after time given him wine, and if he now takes a cup or two more here, at his aunt's, lady Hsueeh's house, there's no harm that I can see. Is it perhaps, who knows, that aunt is a stranger in this establishment, and that we have in fact no right to come over here to see her?"
Nurse Li was both vexed and amused by the words she had just heard. "Really," she observed, "every remark this girl Lin utters is sharper than a razor! I didn't say anything much!"
Pao Ch'ai too could not suppress a smile, and as she pinched Tai-yue's cheek, she exclaimed, "Oh the tongue of this frowning girl! one can neither resent what it says, nor yet listen to it with any gratification!"
"Don't be afraid!" Mrs. Hsueeh went on to say, "don't be afraid; my son, you've come to see me, and although I've nothing good to give you, you mustn't, through fright, let the trifle you've taken lie heavy on your stomach, and thus make me uneasy; but just drink at your pleasure, and as much as you like, and let the blame fall on my shoulders. What's more, you can stay to dinner with me, and then go home; or if you do get tipsy, you can sleep with me, that's all."
She thereupon told the servants to heat some more wine. "I'll come," she continued, "and keep you company while you have two or three cups, after which we'll have something to eat!"
It was only after these assurances that Pao-yue's spirits began at length, once more to revive, and dame Li then directed the waiting-maids what to do. "You remain here," she enjoined, "and mind, be diligent while I go home and change; when I'll come back again. Don't allow him," she also whispered to "aunt" Hsueeh, "to have all his own way and drink too much."
Having said this, she betook herself back to her quarters; and during this while, though there were two or three nurses in attendance, they did not concern themselves with what was going on. As soon as they saw that nurse Li had left, they likewise all quietly slipped out, at the first opportunity they found, while there remained but two waiting-maids, who were only too glad to curry favour with Pao-yue. But fortunately "aunt" Hsueeh, by much coaxing and persuading, only let him have a few cups, and the wine being then promptly cleared away, pickled bamboo shoots and chicken-skin soup were prepared, of which Pao-yue drank with relish several bowls full, eating besides more than half a bowl of finest rice congee.
By this time, Hsueeh Pao Ch'ai and Lin Tai-yue had also finished their repast; and when Pao-yue had drunk a few cups of strong tea, Mrs. Hsueeh felt more easy in her mind. Hsueeh Yen and the others, three or four of them in all, had also had their meal, and came in to wait upon them.
"Are you now going or not?" inquired Tai-yue of Pao-yue.
Pao-yue looked askance with his drowsy eyes. "If you want to go," he observed, "I'll go with you."
Tai-yue hearing this, speedily rose. "We've been here nearly the whole day," she said, "and ought to be going back."
As she spoke the two of them bade good-bye, and the waiting-maids at once presented a hood to each of them.
Pao-yue readily lowered his head slightly and told a waiting-maid to put it on. The girl promptly took the hood, made of deep red cloth, and shaking it out of its folds, she put it on Pao-yue's head.
"That will do," hastily exclaimed Pao-yue. "You stupid thing! gently a bit; is it likely you've never seen any one put one on before? let me do it myself."
"Come over here, and I'll put it on for you," suggested Tai-yue, as she stood on the edge of the couch. Pao-yue eagerly approached her, and Tai-yue carefully kept the cap, to which his hair was bound, fast down, and taking the hood she rested its edge on the circlet round his forehead. She then raised the ball of crimson velvet, which was as large as a walnut, and put it in such a way that, as it waved tremulously, it should appear outside the hood. These arrangements completed she cast a look for a while at what she had done. "That's right now," she added, "throw your wrapper over you!"
When Pao-yue caught these words, he eventually took the wrapper and threw it over his shoulders.
"None of your nurses," hurriedly interposed aunt Hsueeh, "are yet come, so you had better wait a while."
"Why should we wait for them?" observed Pao-yue. "We have the waiting-maids to escort us, and surely they should be enough."
Mrs. Hsueeh finding it difficult to set her mind at ease deputed two married women to accompany the two cousins; and after they had both expressed (to these women) their regret at having troubled them, they came straightway to dowager lady Chia's suite of apartments.
Her venerable ladyship had not, as yet, had her evening repast. Hearing that they had been at Mrs. Hsueeh's, she was extremely pleased; but noticing that Pao-yue had had some wine, she gave orders that he should be taken to his room, and put to bed, and not be allowed to come out again.
"Do take good care of him," she therefore enjoined the servants, and when suddenly she bethought herself of Pao-yue's attendants, "How is it," she at once inquired of them all, "that I don't see nurse Li here?"
They did not venture to tell her the truth, that she had gone home, but simply explained that she had come in a few moments back, and that they thought she must have again gone out on some business or other.
"She's better off than your venerable ladyship," remarked Pao-yue, turning round and swaying from side to side. "Why then ask after her? Were I rid of her, I believe I might live a little longer."
While uttering these words, he reached the door of his bedroom, where he saw pen and ink laid out on the writing table.
"That's nice," exclaimed Ch'ing Wen, as she came to meet him with a smile on her face, "you tell me to prepare the ink for you, but though when you get up, you were full of the idea of writing, you only wrote three characters, when you discarded the pencil, and ran away, fooling me, by making me wait the whole day! Come now at once and exhaust all this ink before you're let off."
Pao-yue then remembered what had taken place in the morning. "Where are the three characters I wrote?" he consequently inquired, smiling.
"Why this man is tipsy," remarked Ch'ing Wen sneeringly. "As you were going to the other mansion, you told me to stick them over the door. I was afraid lest any one else should spoil them, as they were being pasted, so I climbed up a high ladder and was ever so long in putting them up myself; my hands are even now numb with cold."
"Oh I forgot all about it," replied Pao-yue grinning, "if your hands are cold, come and I'll rub them warm for you."
Promptly stretching out his hand, he took those of Ch'ing Wen in his, and the two of them looked at the three characters, which he recently had written, and which were pasted above the door. In a short while, Tai-yue came.
"My dear cousin," Pao-yue said to her smilingly, "tell me without any prevarication which of the three characters is the best written?"
Tai-yue raised her head and perceived the three characters: Red, Rue, Hall. "They're all well done," she rejoined, with a smirk, "How is it you've written them so well? By and bye you must also write a tablet for me."
"Are you again making fun of me?" asked Pao-yue smiling; "what about sister Hsi Jen?" he went on to inquire.
Ch'ing Wen pouted her lips, pointing towards the stove-couch in the inner room, and, on looking in, Pao-yue espied Hsi Jen fast asleep in her daily costume.
"Well," Pao-yue observed laughing, "there's no harm in it, but its rather early to sleep. When I was having my early meal, on the other side," he proceeded, speaking to Ch'ing Wen, "there was a small dish of dumplings, with bean-curd outside; and as I thought you would like to have some, I asked Mrs. Yu for them, telling her that I would keep them, and eat them in the evening; I told some one to bring them over, but have you perchance seen them?"
"Be quick and drop that subject," suggested Ch'ing Wen; "as soon as they were brought over, I at once knew they were intended for me; as I had just finished my meal, I put them by in there, but when nurse Li came she saw them. 'Pao-yue,' she said, 'is not likely to eat them, so I'll take them and give them to my grandson.' And forthwith she bade some one take them over to her home."
While she was speaking, Hsi Hsueeh brought in tea, and Pao-yue pressed his cousin Lin to have a cup.
"Miss Lin has gone long ago," observed all of them, as they burst out laughing, "and do you offer her tea?"
Pao-yue drank about half a cup, when he also suddenly bethought himself of some tea, which had been brewed in the morning. "This morning," he therefore inquired of Hsi Hsueeh, "when you made a cup of maple-dew tea, I told you that that kind of tea requires brewing three or four times before its colour appears; and how is that you now again bring me this tea?"
"I did really put it by," answered Hsi Hsueeh, "but nurse Li came and drank it, and then went off."
Pao-yue upon hearing this, dashed the cup he held in his hand on the ground, and as it broke into small fragments, with a crash, it spattered Hsi Hsueeh's petticoat all over.
"Of whose family is she the mistress?" inquired Pao-yue of Hsi Hsueeh, as he jumped up, "that you all pay such deference to her. I just simply had a little of her milk, when I was a brat, and that's all; and now she has got into the way of thinking herself more high and mighty than even the heads of the family! She should be packed off, and then we shall all have peace and quiet."
Saying this, he was bent upon going, there and then, to tell dowager lady Chia to have his nurse driven away.
Hsi Jen was really not asleep, but simply feigning, with the idea, when Pao-yue came, to startle him in play. At first, when she heard him speak of writing, and inquire after the dumplings, she did not think it necessary to get up, but when he flung the tea-cup on the floor, and got into a temper, she promptly jumped up and tried to appease him, and to prevent him by coaxing from carrying out his threat.
A waiting-maid sent by dowager lady Chia came in, meanwhile, to ask what was the matter.
"I had just gone to pour tea," replied Hsi Jen, without the least hesitation, "and I slipped on the snow and fell, while the cup dropped from my hand and broke. Your decision to send her away is good," she went on to advise Pao-yue, "and we are all willing to go also; and why not avail yourself of this opportunity to dismiss us in a body? It will be for our good, and you too on the other hand, needn't perplex yourself about not getting better people to come and wait on you!"
When Pao-yue heard this taunt, he had at length not a word to say, and supported by Hsi Jen and the other attendants on to the couch, they divested him of his clothes. But they failed to understand the drift of what Pao-yue kept on still muttering, and all they could make out was an endless string of words; but his eyes grew heavier and drowsier, and they forthwith waited upon him until he went to sleep; when Hsi Jen unclasped the jade of spiritual perception, and rolling it up in a handkerchief, she lay it under the mattress, with the idea that when he put it on the next day it should not chill his neck.
Pao-yue fell sound asleep the moment he lay his head on the pillow. By this time nurse Li and the others had come in, but when they heard that Pao-yue was tipsy, they too did not venture to approach, but gently made inquiries as to whether he was asleep or not. On hearing that he was, they took their departure with their minds more at ease.
The next morning the moment Pao-yue awoke, some one came in to tell him that young Mr. Jung, living in the mansion on the other side, had brought Ch'in Chung to pay him a visit.
Pao-yue speedily went out to greet them and to take them over to pay their respects to dowager lady Chia. Her venerable ladyship upon perceiving that Ch'in Chung, with his handsome countenance, and his refined manners, would be a fit companion for Pao-yue in his studies, felt extremely delighted at heart; and having readily detained him to tea, and kept him to dinner, she went further and directed a servant to escort him to see madame Wang and the rest of the family.
With the fond regard of the whole household for Mrs. Ch'in, they were, when they saw what a kind of person Ch'in Chung was, so enchanted with him, that at the time of his departure, they all had presents to give him; even dowager lady Chia herself presented him with a purse and a golden image of the God of Learning, with a view that it should incite him to study and harmony.
"Your house," she further advised him, "is far off, and when it's cold or hot, it would be inconvenient for you to come all that way, so you had better come and live over here with me. You'll then be always with your cousin Pao-yue, and you won't be together, in your studies, with those fellow-pupils of yours who have no idea what progress means."
Ch'in Chung made a suitable answer to each one of her remarks, and on his return home he told everything to his father.
His father, Ch'in Pang-yeh, held at present the post of Secretary in the Peking Field Force, and was well-nigh seventy. His wife had died at an early period, and as she left no issue, he adopted a son and a daughter from a foundling asylum.
But who would have thought it, the boy also died, and there only remained the girl, known as Ko Ch'ing in her infancy, who when she grew up, was beautiful in face and graceful in manners, and who by reason of some relationship with the Chia family, was consequently united by the ties of marriage (to one of the household).
Ch'in Pang-yeh was in his fiftieth year when he at length got this son. As his tutor had the previous year left to go south, he remained at home keeping up his former lessons; and (his father) had been just thinking of talking over the matter with his relatives of the Chia family, and sending his son to the private school, when, as luck would have it, this opportunity of meeting Pao-yue presented itself.
Knowing besides that the family school was under the direction of the venerable scholar Chia Tai-ju, and hoping that by joining his class, (his son) might advance in knowledge and by these means reap reputation, he was therefore intensely gratified. The only drawbacks were that his official emoluments were scanty, and that both the eyes of everyone in the other establishment were set upon riches and honours, so that he could not contribute anything short of the amount (given by others); but his son's welfare throughout life was a serious consideration, and he, needless to say, had to scrape together from the East and to collect from the West; and making a parcel, with all deference, of twenty-four taels for an introduction present, he came along with Ch'in Chung to Tai-ju's house to pay their respects. But he had to wait subsequently until Pao-yue could fix on an auspicious date on which they could together enter the school.
As for what happened after they came to school, the next chapter will divulge.
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！
<< qiányīzhānghuí hòuyīzhānghuí >>
【选集】hóng lóu yī chūn mèng |
|
|