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Updated: June 19, 2025
In this South-East part of the world, was situated a walled town, Ku Su by name. Within the walls a locality, called the Ch'ang Men, was more than all others throughout the mortal world, the centre, which held the second, if not the first place for fashion and life. Next door to this temple lived the family of a district official, Chen by surname, Fei by name, and Shih-yin by style.
"Such being the case," the Taoist acquiesced, "I am ready to follow you, whenever you please to go." But to return to Chen Shih-yin. Having heard every one of these words distinctly, he could not refrain from forthwith stepping forward and paying homage. "My spiritual lords," he said, as he smiled, "accept my obeisance."
The lustrous rays if they my wish but read Would soon alight upon her beauteous head! As luck would have it, Shih-yin was at the moment approaching, and upon hearing the lines, he said with a smile: "My dear Yue-ts'un, really your attainments are of no ordinary capacity." Yue-ts'un lost no time in smiling and replying. "It would be presumption in my part to think so," he observed.
Shih-yin was the first to fall ill, and his wife, Dame Feng, likewise, by dint of fretting for her daughter, was also prostrated with sickness. The doctor was, day after day, sent for, and the oracle consulted by means of divination.
Feng Su, upon hearing these words, fell into such a terrible consternation that his eyes stared wide and his mouth gaped. What calamity was impending is not as yet ascertained, but, reader, listen to the explanation contained in the next chapter. The spirit of Mrs. Chia Shih-yin departs from the town of Yang Chou. Leng Tzu-hsing dilates upon the Jung Kuo Mansion. To continue. Chen to come out."
When the guests had taken their leave, Shih-yin did not go back to rejoin Yue-ts'un, as he had come to know that he had already left. In time the mid-autumn festivities drew near; and Shih-yin, after the family banquet was over, had a separate table laid in the library, and crossed over, in the moonlight, as far as the temple and invited Yue-ts'un to come round.
This Feng Su, however, only expended the half of the sum, and pocketed the other half, merely acquiring for him some fallow land and a dilapidated house. Shih-yin being, on the other hand, a man of books and with no experience in matters connected with business and with sowing and reaping, subsisted, by hook and by crook, for about a year or two, when he became more impoverished.
Huo Ch'i, lacking, on the other hand, the courage to go back and face his master, promptly made his escape to his native village. Shih-yin in fact, the husband as well as the wife seeing that their child had not come home during the whole night, readily concluded that some mishap must have befallen her.
"Please by all means go on with the interpretation," urged the Taoist; whereupon Shih-yin proceeded in this strain: Sordid rooms and vacant courts, Replete in years gone by with beds where statesmen lay; Parched grass and withered banian trees, Where once were halls for song and dance! Spiders' webs the carved pillars intertwine, The green gauze now is also pasted on the straw windows!
While Shih-yin gave way to these foolish reflections, he suddenly noticed the arrival of a penniless scholar, Chia by surname, Hua by name, Shih-fei by style and Yue-ts'un by nickname, who had taken up his quarters in the Gourd temple next door.
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