評(píng)論
打印
Mrs. Yu was very much cheered when she heard what was said. "the day after to-morrow，" she felt obliged to add， "is again our senior's， Mr. Chia Ching's birthday， and how are we to celebrate it after all？"
"I've just been over to our Senior's and paid my respects，" replied Chia Chen， "and further invited the old gentleman to come home， and receive the congratulations of the whole family.
"'I'm accustomed，' our Senior explained， 'to peace and quiet， and have no wish to go over to that worldly place of yours； for you people are certain to have published that it's my birthday， and to entertain the design to ask me to go round to receive the bows of the whole lot of you. But won't it be better if you were to give the "Record of Meritorious Acts，" which I annotated some time ago， to some one to copy out clean for me， and have it printed？ Compared with asking me to come， and uselessly receive the obeisances of you all， this will be yea even a hundred times more profitable！ In the event of the whole family wishing to pay me a visit on any of the two days， to-morrow or the day after to-morrow， if you were to stay at home and entertain them in proper style， that will be all that is wanted； nor will there be any need to send me anything！ Even you needn't come two days from this； and should you not feel contented at heart， well， you had better bow your head before me to-day before you go. But if you do come again the day after to-morrow， with a lot of people to disturb me， I shall certainly be angry with you.' After what he said， I will not venture to go and see him two days hence； but you had better send for Lai Sheng， and bid him get ready a banquet to continue for a couple of days."
Mrs. Yu， having asked Chia Jung to come round， told him to direct Lai Sheng to make the usual necessary preparations for a banquet to last for a couple of days， with due regard to a profuse and sumptuous style.
"You go by-and-by，" （she advised him）， "in person to the Western Mansion and invite dowager lady Chia， mesdames Hsing and Wang， and your sister-in-law Secunda lady Lien to come over for a stroll. Your father has also heard of a good doctor， and having already sent some one to ask him round， I think that by to-morrow he's sure to come； and you had better tell him， in a minute manner， the serious symptoms of her ailment during these few days."
Chia Jung having signified his obedience to each of her recommendations， and taken his leave， was just in time to meet the youth coming back from Feng Tzu-ying's house， whither he had gone a short while back to invite the doctor round.
"Your slave，" he consequently reported， "has just been with a card of master's to Mr. Feng's house and asked the doctor to come. 'The gentleman here，' replied the doctor， 'has just told me about it； but to-day， I've had to call on people the whole day， and I've only this moment come home； and I feel now my strength （so worn out）， that I couldn't really stand any exertion. In fact were I even to get as far as the mansion， I shouldn't be in a fit state to diagnose the pulses！ I must therefore have a night's rest， but， to-morrow for certain， I shall come to the mansion. My medical knowledge，' he went on to observe， 'is very shallow， and I don't deserve the honour of such eminent recommendation； but as Mr. Feng has already thus spoken of me in your mansion， I can't but present myself. It will be all right if in anticipation you deliver this message for me to your honourable master； but as for your worthy master's card， I cannot really presume to keep it.' It was again at his instance that I've brought it back； but， Sir， please mention this result for me （to master）。"
Chia Jung turned back again， and entering the house delivered the message to Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu； whereupon he walked out， and， calling Lai Sheng before him， he transmitted to him the orders to prepare the banquet for a couple of days.
After Lai Sheng had listened to the directions， he went off， of course， to get ready the customary preparations； but upon these we shall not dilate， but confine ourselves to the next day.
