红楼梦 英文版 The Dream of the Red Chamber
曹雪芹
CHAPTER XXXV. Page 3
"It was the 'plum blossom with piled cores,'" Ying Erh explained in reply.
"Yes, that's nice." Pao-yue rejoined.
As he uttered this remark, Hsi Jen arrived with the cords. But no sooner were they brought than a matron cried, from outside the window: "Girls, your viands are ready!"
"Go and have your meal," urged Pao-yue, "and come back quick after you've had it."
"There are visitors here," Hsi Jen smiled, "and how can I very well go?"
"What makes you say so?" Ying Erh laughed, while adjusting the cords. "It's only right and proper that you should go and have your food at once and then return."
Hearing this, Hsi Jen and her companions went off, leaving behind only two youthful servant-girls to answer the calls.
Pao-yue watched Ying Erh make the nets. But, while keeping his eyes intent on her, he talked at the same time of one thing and then another, and next went on to ask her how far she was in her teens.
Ying Erh continued plaiting. "I'm sixteen," she simultaneously rejoined.
"What was your original surname?" Pao-yue added.
"It was Huang;" answered Ying Erh.
"That's just the thing," Pao-yue smiled; "for in real truth there's the 'Huang Ying-erh;' (oriole)."
"My name, at one time, consisted of two characters," continued Ying Erh. "I was called Chin Ying; but Miss Pao-ch'ai didn't like it, as it was difficult to pronounce, and only called me Ying Erh; so now I've come to be known under that name."
"One can very well say that cousin Pao-ch'ai is fond of you!" Pao-yue pursued. "By and bye, when she gets married, she's sure to take you along with her."
Ying Erh puckered up her lips, and gave a significant smile.
"I've often told Hsi Jen," Pao-yue smiled, "that I can't help wondering who'll shortly be the lucky ones to win your mistress and yourself."
"You aren't aware," laughed Ying Erh, "that our young mistress possesses several qualities not to be found in a single person in this world; her face is a second consideration."
Pao-yue noticed how captivating Ying Erh's tone of voice was, how complaisant she was, and how simpleton-like unaffected in her language and smiles, and he soon felt the warmest affection for her; and particularly so, when she started the conversation about Pao-ch'ai. "Where do her qualities lie?" he readily inquired. "My dear girl, please tell me!"
"If I tell you," said Ying Erh, "you must, on no account, let her know anything about it again."
"This goes without saying," smiled Pao-yue.
But this answer was still on his lips, when they overheard some one outside remark: "How is it that everything is so quiet?"
Both gazed round to see who possibly it could be. They discovered, strange enough, no one else than Pao-ch'ai herself.
Pao-yue hastily offered her a seat. Pao-ch'ai seated herself, and then wanted to know what Ying Erh was busy plaiting. Inquiring the while, she approached her and scrutinised what she held in her hands, half of which had by this time been done. "What's the fun of a thing like this?" she said. "Wouldn't it be preferable to plait a net, and put the jade in it?"
This allusion suggested the idea to Pao-yue. Speedily clapping his hands, he smiled and exclaimed: "Your idea is splendid, cousin. I'd forgotten all about it! The only thing is what colour will suit it best?"
"It will never do to use mixed colours," Pao-ch'ai rejoined. "Deep red will, on one hand, clash with the colour; while yellow is not pleasing to the eye; and black, on the other hand, is too sombre. But wait, I'll try and devise something. Bring that gold cord and use it with the black beaded cord; and if you twist one of each together, and make a net with them, it will look very pretty!"
Upon hearing this, Pao-yue was immeasurably delighted, and time after time he shouted to the servants to fetch the gold cord. But just at that moment Hsi Jen stepped in, with two bowls of eatables. "How very strange this is to-day!" she said to Pao-yue. "Why, a few minutes back, my mistress, your mother, sent some one to bring me two bowls of viands."
"The supply," replied Pao-yue smiling, "must have been so plentiful to-day, that they've sent some to every one of you."
"It isn't that," continued Hsi Jen, "for they were distinctly given to me by name. What's more, I wasn't bidden go and knock my head; so this is indeed remarkable!"
"If they're given to you," Pao-yue smiled, "why, you had better go and eat them. What's there in this to fill you with conjectures?"
"There's never been anything like this before," Hsi Jen added, "so, it makes me feel uneasy."
Pao-ch'ai compressed her lips. "If this," she laughed; "makes you fell uneasy, there will be by and bye other things to make you far more uneasy."
Hsi Jen realised that she implied something by her insinuations, as she knew from past experience that Pao-ch'ai was not one given to lightly and contemptuously poking fun at people; and, remembering the notions entertained by Madame Wang on the last occasion she had seen her, she dropped at once any further allusions to the subject and brought the eatables up to Pao-yue for his inspection. "I shall come and hold the cords," she observed, "as soon as I've rinsed my hands."
This said, she immediately quitted the apartment. After her meal, she washed her hands and came inside to hold the gold cords for Ying Erh to plait the net with.
By this time, Pao-ch'ai had been called away by a servant, despatched by Hsueeh P'an. But while Pao-yue was watching the net that was being made he caught sight, at a moment least expected, of two servant-girls, who came from the part of Madame Hsing of the other mansion, to bring him a few kinds of fruits, and to inquire whether he was able to walk. "If you can go about," they told him, "(our mistress) desires you, Mr. Pao-yue, to cross over to-morrow and have a little distraction. Her ladyship really longs to see you."
"Were I able to walk," Pao-yue answered with alacrity, "I would feel it my duty to go and pay my respects to your mistress! Anyhow, the pain is better than before, so request your lady to allay her solicitude."
As he bade them both sit down, he, at the same time, called Ch'iu Wen. "Take," he said to her, "half of the fruits, just received, to Miss Lin as a present."
Ch'iu Wen signified her obedience, and was about to start on her errand, when she heard Tai-yue talking in the court, and Pao-yue eagerly shout out: "Request her to walk in at once!"
But should there be any further particulars, which you, reader, might feel disposed to know, peruse the details given in the following chapter.