評論
打印
Ch'in K'o-ch'ing dies， and Chia Jung is invested with the rank of military officer to the Imperial Body-guard. Wang Hsi-feng lends her help in the management of the Jung Kuo Mansion.
Lady Feng， it must be added， in prosecuting our narrative， was ever since Chia Lien's departure to accompany Tai-yue to Yang Chou， really very dejected at heart； and every day， when evening came， she would， after simply indulging in a chat and a laugh with P'ing Erh， turn in， in a heedless frame of mind， for the night.
In the course of the night of this day， she had been sitting with P'ing Erh by lamp-light clasping the hand-stove； and weary of doing her work of embroidery， she had at an early hour， given orders to warm the embroidered quilt， and both had gone to bed； and as she was bending her fingers， counting the proGREss of the journey， and when they should be arriving， unexpectedly， the third watch struck.
P'ing Erh had already fallen fast asleep； and lady Feng was feeling at length her sleepy eyes slightly dose， when she faintly discerned Mrs. Ch'in walk in from outside.
"My dear sister-in-law，" she said as she smiled， "sleep in peace； I'm on my way back to-day， and won't even you accompany me just one stage？ But as you and I have been GREat friends all along， I cannot part from you， sister-in-law， and have therefore come to take my leave of you. There is， besides， a wish of mine， which isn't yet accomplished； and if I don't impart it to you， it isn't likely that telling any one else will be of any use."
Lady Feng could not make out the sense of the words she heard. "What wish is it you have？" she inquired， "do tell me， and it will be safe enough with me."
"You are， my dear sister-in-law， a heroine among women，" observed Mrs. Ch'in， "so much so that those famous men， with sashes and official hats， cannot excel you； how is it that you're not aware of even a couple of lines of common adages， of that trite saying， 'when the moon is full， it begins to wane； when the waters are high， they must overflow？' and of that other which says that 'if you ascend high， heavy must be your fall.' Our family has now enjoyed splendour and prosperity for already well-nigh a century， but a day comes when at the height of good fortune， calamity arises； and if the proverb that 'when the tree falls， the monkeys scatter，' be fulfilled， will not futile have been the reputation of culture and old standing of a whole generation？"
Lady Feng at these words felt her heart heavy， and overpowered by intense awe and veneration.
"the fears you express are well founded，" she urgently remarked， "but what plan is there adequate to preserve it from future injury？"
"My dear sister-in-law，" rejoined Mrs. Ch'in with a sardonic smile， "you're very simple indeed！ When woe has reached its climax， weal supervenes. Prosperity and adversity， from days of yore up to the present time， now pass away， and now again revive， and how can （prosperity） be perpetuated by any human exertion？ But if now， we could in the time of good fortune， make provision against any worldly concerns， which might arise at any season of future adversity， we might in fact prolong and preserve it. Everything， for instance， is at present well-regulated； but there are two matters which are not on a sure footing， and if such and such suitable action could be adopted with regard to these concerns， it will， in subsequent days， be found easy to perpetuate the family welfare in its entity."
"What matters are these？" inquired lady Feng.
"Though at the graves of our ancestors，" explained Mrs. Ch'in， "sacrifices and oblations be offered at the four seasons， there's nevertheless no fixed source of income. In the second place， the family school is， it is true， in existence； but it has no definite grants-in-aid. According to my views， now that the times are prosperous， there's， as a matter of course， no lack of offerings and contributions； but by and bye， when reverses set in， whence will these two outlays be met from？ Would it not be as well， and my ideas are positive on this score， to avail ourselves of the present time， when riches and honours still reign， to establish in the immediate vicinity of our ancestral tombs， a large number of farms， cottages， and estates， in order to enable the expenditure for offerings and grants to entirely emanate from this source？ And if the household school were also established on this principle， the old and young in the whole clan can， after they have， by common consent， determined upon rules， exercise in days to come control， in the order of the branches， over the affairs connected with the landed property， revenue， ancestral worship and school maintenance for the year （of their respective term.） Under this rotatory system， there will likewise be no animosities； neither will there be any mortgages， or sales， or any of these numerous malpractices； and should any one happen to incur blame， his personal effects can be confiscated by Government. But the properties， from which will be derived the funds for ancestral worship， even the officials should not be able to appropriate， so that when reverses do supervene， the sons and grandsons of the family may be able to return to their homes， and prosecute their studies， or go in for farming. Thus， while they will have something to fall back upon， the ancestral worship will， in like manner， be continued in perpetuity. But， if the present affluence and splendour be looked upon as bound to go on without intermission， and with no thought for the day to come， no enduring plan be after all devised， presently， in a little while， there will， once again， transpire a felicitous occurrence of exceptional kind， which， in point of fact， will resemble the splendour of oil scorched on a violent fire， or fresh flowers decorated with brocades. You should bear in mind that it will also be nothing more real than a transient pageant， nothing but a short-lived pleasure！ Whatever you do， don't forget the proverb， that 'there's no banquet， however sumptuous， from which the guests do not disperse；' and unless you do， at an early date， take precautions against later evils， reGREt will， I apprehend， be of no avail."
