評論
打印
Widow Chin， prompted by a desire to reap advantage， puts up temporarily with an insult. Dr. Chang in discussing Mrs. Chin's illness minutely exhausts its origin.
We will now resume our story. As the persons against Chin Jung were so many and their pressure so GREat， and as， what was more， Chia Jui urged him to make amends， he had to knock his head on the ground before Ch'in Chung. Pao-yue then gave up his clamorous remonstrances and the whole crowd dispersed from school.
Chin Jung himself returned home all alone， but the more he pondered on the occurrence， the more incensed he felt. "Ch'in Chung，" he argued， "is simply Chia Jung's young brother-in-law， and is no son or grandson of the Chia family， and he too joins the class and prosecutes his studies on no other footing than that of mine； but it's because he relies upon Pao-yue's friendship for him that he has no eye for any one. This being the case， he should be somewhat proper in his behaviour， and there would be then not a word to say about it！ He has besides all along been very mystical with Pao-yue， imagining that we are all blind， and have no eyes to see what's up！ Here he goes again to-day and mixes with people in illicit intrigues； and it's all because they happened to obtrude themselves before my very eyes that this rumpus has broken out； but of what need I fear？"
His mother， nee Hu， hearing him mutter； "Why meddle again，" she explained， "in things that don't concern you？ I had endless trouble in getting to speak to your paternal aunt； and your aunt had， on the other hand， a thousand and one ways and means to devise， before she could appeal to lady Secunda， of the Western mansion； and then only it was that you got this place to study in. Had we not others to depend upon for your studies， would we have in our house the means sufficient to engage a teacher？ Besides， in other people's school， tea and eatables are all ready and found； and these two years that you've been there for your lessons， we've likewise effected at home a GREat saving in what would otherwise have been necessary for your eating and use. Something has been， it's true， economised； but you have further a liking for spick and span clothes. Besides， it's only through your being there to study， that you've come to know Mr. Hsueeh！ that Mr. Hsueeh， who has even in one year given us so much pecuniary assistance as seventy and eighty taels！ And now you would go and raise a row in this school-room！ why， if we were bent upon finding such another place， I tell you plainly， and once for all， that we would find it more difficult than if we tried to scale the heavens！ Now do quietly play for a while， and then go to sleep， and you'll be ever so much better for it then."
Chin Jung thereupon stifled his anger and held his tongue； and， after a short while， he in fact went to sleep of his own accord.
the next day he again went to school， and no further comment need be made about it； but we will go on to explain that a young lady related to her had at one time been given in marriage to a descendant （of the eldest branch） of the Chia family， （whose names were written） with the jade radical， Chia Huang by name； but how could the whole number of members of the clan equal in affluence and power the two mansions of Ning and Jung？ This fact goes， as a matter of course， without saying. The Chia Huang couple enjoyed some small income； but they also went， on frequent occasions， to the mansions of Ning and Jung to pay their respects； and they knew likewise so well how to adulate lady Feng and Mrs. Yu， that lady Feng and Mrs. Yu would often grant them that assistance and support which afforded them the means of meeting their daily expenses.
It just occurred on this occasion that the weather was clear and fine， and that there happened， on the other hand， to be nothing to attend to at home， so forthwith taking along with her a matron， （Mrs. Chia Huang） got into a carriage and came over to see widow Chin and her nephew. While engaged in a chat， Chin Jung's mother accidentally broached the subject of the affair， which had transpired in the school-room of the Chia mansion on the previous day， and she gave， for the benefit of her young sister-in-law， a detailed account of the whole occurrence from beginning to end.
