評(píng)論
打印
Upon hearing the text of the stanza， Pao-yue comprehends the Buddhistic spells. While the enigmas for the lanterns are being devised， Chia Cheng is grieved by a prognostic.
Chia Lien， for we must now prosecute our story， upon hearing lady Feng observe that she had something to consult about with him， felt constrained to halt and to inquire what it was about.
"On the 21st，" lady Feng explained， "is cousin Hsueeh's birthday， and what do you， after all， purpose doing？"
"Do I know what to do？" exclaimed Chia Lien； "you have made， time and again， arrangements for ever so many birthdays of grown-up people， and do you， really， find yourself on this occasion without any resources？"
"Birthdays of grown-up people are subject to prescribed rules，" lady Feng expostulated； "but her present birthday is neither one of an adult nor that of an infant， and that's why I would like to deliberate with you！"
Chia Lien upon hearing this remark， lowered his head and gave himself to protracted reflection. "You're indeed grown dull！" he cried； "why you've a precedent ready at hand to suit your case！ Cousin Lin's birthday affords a precedent， and what you did in former years for cousin Lin， you can in this instance likewise do for cousin Hsueeh， and it will be all right."
At these words lady Feng gave a sarcastic smile. "Do you， pray， mean to insinuate，" she added， "that I'm not aware of even this！ I too had previously come， after some thought， to this conclusion； but old lady Chia explained， in my hearing yesterday， that having made inquiries about all their ages and their birthdays， she learnt that cousin Hsueeh would this year be fifteen， and that though this was not the birthday， which made her of age， she could anyhow well be regarded as being on the dawn of the year， in which she would gather up her hair， so that our dowager lady enjoined that her anniversary should， as a matter of course， be celebrated， unlike that of cousin Lin."
"Well， in that case，" Chia Lien suggested， "you had better make a few additions to what was done for cousin Lin！"
"That's what I too am thinking of，" lady Feng replied， "and that's why I'm asking your views； for were I， on my own hook， to add anything you would again feel hurt for my not have explained things to you."
"That will do， that will do！" Chia Lien rejoined laughing， "none of these sham attentions for me！ So long as you don't pry into my doings it will be enough； and will I go so far as to bear you a grudge？"
With these words still in his mouth， he forthwith went off. But leaving him alone we shall now return to Shih Hsiang-yuen. After a stay of a couple of days， her intention was to go back， but dowager lady Chia said： "Wait until after you have seen the theatrical performance， when you can return home."
At this proposal， Shih Hsiang-yuen felt constrained to remain， but she， at the same time， despatched a servant to her home to fetch two pieces of needlework， which she had in former days worked with her own hands， for a birthday present for Pao-ch'ai.
Contrary to all expectations old lady Chia had， since the arrival of Pao-ch'ai， taken quite a fancy to her， for her sedateness and good nature， and as this happened to be the first birthday which she was about to celebrate （in the family） she herself readily contributed twenty taels which， after sending for lady Feng， she handed over to her， to make arrangements for a banquet and performance.
"A venerable senior like yourself，" lady Feng thereupon smiled and ventured， with a view to enhancing her good cheer， "is at liberty to celebrate the birthday of a child in any way aGREeable to you， without any one presuming to raise any objection； but what's the use again of giving a banquet？ But since it be your good pleasure and your purpose to have it celebrated with eclat， you could， needless to say， your own self have spent several taels from the private funds in that old treasury of yours！ But you now produce those twenty taels， spoiled by damp and mould， to play the hostess with， with the view indeed of compelling us to supply what's wanted！ But hadn't you really been able to contribute any more， no one would have a word to say； but the gold and silver， round as well as flat， have with their heavy weight pressed down the bottom of the box！ and your sole object is to harass us and to extort from us. But raise your eyes and look about you； who isn't your venerable ladyship's son and daughter？ and is it likely， pray， that in the future there will only be cousin Pao-yue to carry you， our old lady， on his head， up the Wu T'ai Shan？ You may keep all these things for him alone！ but though we mayn't at present， deserve that anything should be spent upon us， you shouldn't go so far as to place us in any perplexities （by compelling us to subscribe）。 And is this now enough for wines， and enough for the theatricals？"
As she bandied these words， every one in the whole room burst out laughing， and even dowager lady Chia broke out in laughter while she observed： "Do you listen to that mouth？ I myself am looked upon as having the gift of the gab， but why is it that I can't talk in such a wise as to put down this monkey？ Your mother-in-law herself doesn't dare to be so overbearing in her speech； and here you are jabber， jabber with me！"
"My mother-in-law，" explained lady Feng， "is also as fond of Pao-yue as you are， so much so that I haven't anywhere I could go and give vent to my grievances； and instead of （showing me some regard） you say that I'm overbearing in my speech！"
With these words， she again enticed dowager lady Chia to laugh for a while. The old lady continued in the highest of spirits， and， when evening came， and they all appeared in her presence to pay their obeisance， her ladyship made it a point， while the whole company of ladies and young ladies were engaged in chatting， to ascertain of Pao-ch'ai what play she liked to hear， and what things she fancied to eat.
Pao-ch'ai was well aware that dowager lady Chia， well up in years though she was， delighted in sensational performances， and was partial to sweet and tender viands， so that she readily deferred， in every respect， to those things， which were to the taste of her ladyship， and enumerated a whole number of them， which made the old lady become the more exuberant. And the next day， she was the first to send over clothes， nicknacks and such presents， while madame Wang and lady Feng， Tai-yue and the other girls， as well as the whole number of inmates had all presents for her， regulated by their deGREe of relationship， to which we need not allude in detail.
When the 21st arrived， a stage of an ordinary kind， small but yet handy， was improvised in dowager lady Chia's inner court， and a troupe of young actors， who had newly made their debut， was retained for the nonce， among whom were both those who could sing tunes， slow as well as fast. In the drawing rooms of the old lady were then laid out several tables for a family banquet and entertainment， at which there was not a single outside guest； and with the exception of Mrs. Hsueeh， Shih Hsiang-yuen， and Pao-ch'ai， who were visitors， the rest were all inmates of her household.
On this day， Pao-yue failed， at any early hour， to see anything of Lin Tai-yue， and coming at once to her rooms in search of her， he discovered her reclining on the stove-couch. "Get up，" Pao-yue pressed her with a smile， "and come and have breakfast， for the plays will commence shortly； but whichever plays you would like to listen to， do tell me so that I may be able to choose them."
Tai-yue smiled sarcastically. "In that case，" she rejoined， "you had better specially engage a troupe and select those I like sung for my benefit； for on this occasion you can't be so impertinent as to make use of their expense to ask me what I like！"
"What's there impossible about this？" Pao-yue answered smiling； "well， to-morrow I'll readily do as you wish， and ask them too to make use of what is yours and mine."
