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Updated: June 19, 2025
But presently, the repast was concluded, and old lady Chia and all the other inmates adjoined into T'an Ch'un's bedroom for a chat. The remnants were, meanwhile, cleared away, and fresh tables were laid. Old goody Liu watched Li Wan and lady Feng sit opposite each other and eat. "Putting everything else aside," she sighed, "what most takes my fancy is the way things are done in your mansion.
Madame Wang laughed, and pointed at lady Feng with her finger; but as for saying a word, she could not. Mrs. Hsueeh had much difficulty in curbing her mirth, and she sputtered the tea, with which her mouth was full, all over T'an Ch'un's petticoat.
But perceiving an angry look about T'an Ch'un's face, she did not have the temerity to behave towards her as she would, had she found her in the high spirits of past days. All she did therefore was to stand aloof with her arms against her sides and to wait in rigid silence. Just at that moment, however, Pao-ch'ai dropped in, on her return from the upper rooms.
At the fifth watch, dowager lady Chia and the other senior members of the family donned the grand costumes, which accorded with their status, and with a complete retinue they entered the palace to present their court congratulations; for that day was, in addition, the anniversary of Yuean Ch'un's birth.
When they had perused his verses, Pao-yue opined that T'an Ch'un's carried the palm. Li Wan was, however, inclined to concede to the stanza, indited by Pao-ch'ai, the credit of possessing much merit. But she then went on to tell Tai-yue to look sharp. "Have you all done?" Tai-yue asked. So saying, she picked up a pen and completing her task, with a few dashes, she threw it to them to look over.
Next in order, followed dowager lady Chia's waiting-maids, Yuean Yang, Ying Wu, Hu Po, Chen Chu; Lin Tai-yue's waiting-maids Tzu Chuean, Hsueeh Yen, and Ch'un Ch'ien; Pao-ch'ai's waiting-maids Ying Erh and Wen Hsing; Ying Ch'un's servant-girls Ssu Ch'i and Hsiu Chue; T'an Ch'un's waiting-maids Shih Shu and Ts'ui Mo; Hsi Ch'un's servant-girls Ju Hua and Ts'ai P'ing; and Mrs.
Then with one leg bent on the edge of the stove-couch, while the other rested on the ground, P'ing Erh kept lady Feng company during her repast; and waiting on her, afterwards, until she finished rinsing her mouth, she issued certain directions to Feng Erh, and crossed over at length to T'an Ch'un's quarters.
But on discovery the previous day that Yuean Ch'un's presents to her alone resembled those of Pao-yue, she began to feel all the more embarrassed. Luckily, however, Pao-yue was so entangled in Lin Tai-yue's meshes and so absorbed in heart and mind with fond thoughts of his Lin Tai-yue that he did not pay the least attention to this circumstance.
Ying Ch'un's waiting-maid, Ssu Chi, together with Shih Shu, T'an Ch'un's waiting-maid, just at this moment raised the curtain, and made their egress, each holding in her hand a tea-cup and saucer; and Chou Jui's wife readily concluding that the young ladies were sitting together also walked into the inner room, where she only saw Ying Ch'un and T'an Ch'un seated near the window, in the act of playing chess.
Thus runs Hsi Ch'un's stanza on the tablet of the "Conception of literary compositions": The hillocks and the streams crosswise beyond a thousand li extend! The towers and terraces 'midst the five-coloured clouds lofty ascend! In the resplendent radiance of both sun and moon the park it lies! The skill these scenes to raise the skill e'en essays to conceive outvies!
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