United States or Uganda ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
But was it likely that Pao-yue would be willing to go back? Besides Ch'in Chung, in his inordinate passion for Chih Neng, instigated Pao-yue to entreat lady Feng to remain another day.
This string of flattery pleased lady Feng more and more, so that heedless of fatigue she went on to chat with still greater zest. But, thing unthought of, Ch'in Chung availed himself of the darkness, as well as of the absence of any one about, to come in quest of Chih Neng.
Ch'in Chung too returned her affection, on account of her good looks; and, although he and she had not had any very affectionate tete-a-tetes, they had, however, long ago come to understand each other's feelings and wishes. Chih Neng walked away and returned after having poured the tea. "Give it to me," Ch'in Chung cried out smirkingly; while Pao-yue likewise shouted: "Give it to me."
But as it happened that Ch'in Chung, who was naturally of an extremely delicate physique, caught somewhat of a chill in the country and clandestinely indulged, besides, in an intimacy with Chih Neng, which unavoidably made him fail to take good care of himself, he was, shortly after his return, troubled with a cough and a feverish cold, with nausea for drink and food, and fell into such an extremely poor state of health that he simply kept indoors and nursed himself, and was not in a fit condition to go to school.
But leaving aside the old nun, who kept lady Feng company, we will now return to the two lads Pao-yue and Ch'in Chung. They were up to their pranks in the main building of the convent, when seeing Chih Neng come over: "Here's Neng Erh," Pao-yue exclaimed with a smile.
After they had exchanged greetings, lady Feng and the others entered the "chaste" apartments to change their clothes and wash their hands; and when they had done, as she perceived how much taller in stature Chih Neng had grown and how much handsomer were her features, she felt prompted to inquire, "How is it that your prioress and yourselves haven't been all these days as far as our place?"
"If you get your monkey up," retorted Pao-yue, "why, then let you and I start bawling out;" which so abashed Chih Neng that she availed herself of the gloomy light to make her escape; while Pao-yue had dragged Ch'in Chung out of the room and asked, "Now then, do you still want to play the bully!"
Chou at these words readily came into the room on this side, where she found Hsi Ch'un, in company with a certain Chih Neng, a young nun of the "moon reflected on water" convent, talking and laughing together. On seeing Chou Jui's wife enter, Hsi Ch'un at once asked what she wanted, whereupon Chou Jui's wife opened the box of flowers, and explained who had sent them.
The fact is that Chih Neng, of the Water Moon Convent, had recently entered the city in a surreptitious manner in search of Ch'in Chung; but, contrary to expectation, her visit came to be known by Ch'in Yeh, who drove Chih Neng away and laid hold of Ch'in Chung and gave him a flogging.
I'm nearly dead from impatience, and if you don't again to-day accept my advances, I shall this very moment die on this spot." "What you're bent upon," added Chih Neng, "can't be effected; not unless you wait until I've left this den and parted company from these people, when it will be safe enough."
Word Of The Day