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"Choose a piece out of those big ones and give it to him, and have done," he said. "We don't go in for buying and selling, so what's the use of minding such trifles!" She Yueeh, upon hearing this, dropped the steelyard, and selected a piece, which she weighed in her hand. "This piece," she smiled, "must, I fancy, be a tael. But it would be better to let him have a little more.
Pao-yue, however, read her feelings, and he had to do all that lay in his power to exhort her and to console her for a time before she cheered up. Pao-yue then hurried into the I Hung court. Going up to Hsi Jen, She Yueeh and Chi'ng Wen: "Don't you yet hasten to go and see them?" he smiled. "Who'd ever have fancied that cousin Pao-ch'ai's own cousin would be what he is?
"We've all ever been friends," she said, "that is: Hsi Jen, Hu Po, Su Yuen, Tzu Chuean, Ts'ai Hsia, Yue Ch'uan, She Yueeh, Ts'ui Mo, Ts'ui Lue, who was in Miss Shih's service and is now gone, K'o Jen and Chin Ch'uan, now deceased, Hsi Hsueeh, who left, and you and I. Ever since our youth up, how many chats have the ten or dozen of us not had, and what have we not been up to together?
So were we now to also take gold thread, twisted from the feathers of the peacock, and darn it closely, by imitating the woof, I think it will pass without detection." "The peacock-feather-thread is ready at hand," She Yueeh remarked smilingly. "But who's there, exclusive of you, able to join the threads?"
"Take the lid off," Pao-yue cried, "and let me see what there's inside." Ch'in Wen and She Yueeh at once approached and uncovered the boxes.
"Those two dames are pleasant enough," Pao-yue smiled, "and they know how to speak decently; but it's they who get quite worn out every day, and they contrariwise say that you've got ample to do daily. Now, doesn't this amount to bragging and boasting?" "Those two women," She Yueeh chimed in, "are not bad.
But while they kept up this conversation, the first watch drew near, and She Yueeh at once lowered the mosquito-curtain, removed the lamp, burnt the joss-sticks, and waited upon Pao-yue until he got into bed. The two maids then retired to rest. Ch'ing Wen reclined all alone on the warming-frame, while She Yueeh lay down outside the winter apartments.
In a little while, she heard the clock strike four, and just managing to finish she took a small tooth-brush, and rubbed up the pile. "That will do!" She Yueeh put in. "One couldn't detect it, unless one examined it carefully." Pao-yue asked with alacrity to be allowed to have a look at it. "Really," he smiled, "it's quite the same thing."
But there are no sycee shears at hand, so, miss, put this piece aside and choose a smaller one." She Yueeh had already closed the press and walked out. "Who'll go and fumble about again?" she laughed. "If there's a little more, well, you take it and finish." "Be quick," Pao-yue remarked, "and tell Pei Ming to go for another doctor. It will be all right."
Retracing afterwards his footsteps into the garden, he let Ch'ing Wen and She Yueeh also have a look at it, and then came and told his grandmother that he had attended to her wishes. "My mother," he added, "has seen what I've got on. But all she said was: 'what a pity! and then she went on to enjoin me to be 'careful with it and not to spoil it."
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