Hung Lou Meng - book 2 | Page 7

walk in, they with one voice shouted,
smiling: "Now, are not these two more!"
"We are a full company to-day," laughed Tai-yü, "but who has issued
the cards and invited us here?"
"The other day," interposed lady Feng, "I sent servants with a present
of two caddies of tea for you, Miss Lin; was it, after all, good?"
"I had just forgotten all about it," Tai-yü rejoined, "many thanks for
your kind attention!
"I tasted it," observed Pao-yü. "I did not think it anything good. But I
don't know how others, who've had any of it, find it."
"Its flavour," said Tai-yü, "is good; the only thing is, it has no colour."
"It's tribute tea from the Laos Kingdom," continued lady Feng. "When I
tried it, I didn't either find it anything very fine. It's not up to what we
ordinarily drink."
"To my taste, it's all right," put in Tai-yü. "But what your palates are
like, I can't make out."
"As you say it's good," suggested Pao-yü, "you're quite at liberty to
take all I have for your use."
"I've got a great deal more of it over there," lady Feng remarked.
"I'll tell a servant-girl to go and fetch it," Tai-yü replied.
"No need," lady Feng went on. "I'll send it over with some one. I also
have a favour to ask of you to-morrow, so I may as well tell the servant
to bring it along at the same time."

When Lin Tai-yü heard these words, she put on a smile. "You just mark
this," she observed. "I've had to-day a little tea from her place, and she
at once begins making a tool of me!"
"Since you've had some of our tea," lady Feng laughed, "how is it that
you have not yet become a wife in our household?"
The whole party burst out laughing aloud. So much so, that they found
it difficult to repress themselves. But Tai-yü's face was suffused with
blushes. She turned her head the other way, and uttered not a word.
"Our sister-in-law Secunda's jibes are first-rate!" Pao-ch'ai chimed in
with a laugh.
"What jibes!" exclaimed Tai-yü; "they're purely and simply the prattle
of a mean mouth and vile tongue! They're enough to evoke people's
displeasure!"
Saying this, she went on to sputter in disgust.
"Were you," insinuated lady Feng, "to become a wife in my family,
what is there that you would lack?" Pointing then at Pao-yü, "Look
here!" she cried--"Is not this human being worthy of you? Is not his
station in life good enough for you? Are not our stock and estate
sufficient for you? and in what slight degree can he make you lose
caste?"
Tai-yü rose to her feet, and retired immediately. But Pao-ch'ai shouted
out: "Here's P'in Erh in a huff! Don't you yet come back? when you've
gone, there will really be no fun!"
While calling out to her, she jumped up to pull her back. As soon,
however, as she reached the door of the room, she beheld Mrs. Chao,
accompanied by Mrs. Chou; both coming to look up Pao-yü. Pao-yü
and his companions got up in a body and pressed them into a seat. Lady
Feng was the sole person who did not heed them.
But just as Pao-ch'ai was about to open her lips, she perceived a

servant-girl, attached to Madame Wang's apartments, appear on the
scene. "Your maternal uncle's wife has come," she said, "and she
requests you, ladies and young ladies, to come out and see her."
Li Kung-ts'ai hurriedly walked away in company with lady Feng. The
two dames, Mrs. Chao and Mrs. Chou, in like manner took their leave
and quitted the room.
"As for me, I can't go out," Pao-yü shouted. "But whatever you do, pray,
don't ask aunt to come in here." "Cousin Lin," he went on to say, "do
stay on a while; I've got something to tell you."
Lady Feng overheard him. Turning her head towards Lin Tai-yü,
"There's some one," she cried; "who wants to speak to you." And
forthwith laying hold of Lin Tai-yü, she pushed her back and then
trudged away, along with Li Kung-ts'ai.
During this time, Pao-yü clasped Tai-yü's hand in his. He did nothing
than smile. But not a word did he utter. Tai-yü naturally, therefore, got
crimson in the face, and struggled to escape his importunities.
"Ai-ya!" exclaimed Pao-yü. "How my head is sore!"
"It should be!" rejoined Tai-yü. "O-mi-to-fu."
Pao-yü then gave vent to a loud shout. His body bounced three or four
feet high from the ground. His mouth was full of confused shrieks. But
all he said was rambling talk.
Tai-yü and the servant-girls were full of consternation, and, with all
possible haste, they ran and apprised Madame Wang and dowager lady
Chia.
Wang Tzu-t'eng's