circumstances at home, and easily contented, readily took up their quarters in the temple. And there were those with money and position, and with extravagant ideas, who maintained that the accommodation in the temple was not suitable, and, of course, went in search of additional quarters, either in country houses, or in convents, where they could have their meals and retire, after the ceremonies were over.
On the occasion of Mrs. Ch'in's funeral, all the members of the clan put up temporarily in the Iron Fence Temple; lady Feng alone looked down upon it as inconvenient, and consequently despatched a servant to go and tell Ch'ing Hsue, a nun in the Bread Convent, to empty two rooms for her to go and live in.
This Bread Convent had at one time been styled the Shui Yueh nunnery (water moon); but as good bread was made in that temple, it gave rise to this nickname.
This convent was not very distant from the Temple of the Iron Fence, so that as soon as the bonzes brought their functions to a close, and the sacrifice of evening was offered, Chia Chen asked Chia Jung to request lady Feng to retire to rest; and as lady Feng perceived that there still remained several sisters-in-law to keep company to the female relatives, she readily, of her own accord, took leave of the whole party, and, along with Pao-yue and Ch'in Chung, came to the Water Moon Convent.
Ch'in Yeh, it must be noticed, was advanced in years and a victim to many ailments, so that he was unable to remain in the temple long, and he bade Ch'in Chung tarry until the coffin had been set in its resting place, with the result that Ch'in Chung came along, at the same time as lady Feng and Pao-yue, to the Water Moon Convent, where Ch'ing Hsue appeared, together with two neophytes, Chih Shan and Chih Neng, to receive them. 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?'
'It's because during these days we haven't had any time which we could call our own,' explained Ch'ing Hsue. 'Owing to the birth of a son in Mr. Hu's mansion, dame Hu sent over about ten taels and asked that we should invite several head-nuns to read during three days the service for the churching of women, with the result that we've been so very busy and had so little leisure, that we couldn't come over to pay our respects to your ladyship.'
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.
'Why notice a creature like her?' remarked Ch'in Chung; to which Pao-yue rejoined laughingly: 'Don't be sly! why then did you the other day, when you were in the old lady's rooms, and there was not a soul present, hold her in your arms? and do you want to fool me now ?'
'There was nothing of the kind,' observed Ch'in Chung smiling.
'Whether there was or not,' replied Pao-yue, 'doesn't concern me; but if you will stop her and tell her to pour a cup of tea and bring it to me to drink, I'll then keep hands off.'
'This is indeed very strange!' Ch'in Chung answered laughing; 'do you fear that if you told her to pour you one, that she wouldn't; and what need is there that I should tell her?'
'If I ask her,' Pao-yue observed, 'to pour it, she wouldn't be as ready as she would were you to tell her about it.'
Ch'in Chung had no help but to speak. 'Neng Erh!' he said, 'bring a cup of tea.'
This Neng Erh had, since her youth, been in and out of the Jung mansion, so that there was no one that she did not know; and she had also, time after time, romped and laughed with Pao-yue and Ch'in Chung. Being now grown up she gradually came to know the import of love, and she readily took a fancy to Ch'in Chung, who was an amorous being. 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.'
Chih Neng compressed her lips and sneeringly rejoined, 'Are you going to have a fight even over a cup of tea? Is it forsooth likely that there's honey in my hand?'
Pao-yue was the first to grasp and take over the cup, but while drinking it, he was about to make some inquiry, when he caught sight of Chih Shan, who came and called Chih Neng away to go and lay the plates with fruit on the table. Not much time elapsed before she came round to request the two lads to go and have tea and refreshments; but would they eat such things as were laid before them? They simply sat for a while and came out again and resumed their play.
Lady Feng too stayed for a few moments, and then returned, with the old nun as her escort, into the 'unsullied' rooms to lie down. By this time, all the matrons and married women discovered that there was nothing else to be done, and they dispersed in succession, retiring each to rest. There only remained in attendance several young girls who enjoyed her confidence, and the old nun speedily availed herself of the opportunity to speak. 'I've got something,' she said, 'about which I mean to go to your mansion to beg of madame Wang; but I'll first request you, my lady, to tell me how to set to work.'
'What's it?' ascertained lady Feng.
'O-mi-to-fu!' exclaimed the old nun, 'It's this; in days gone by, I first lived in the Ch'ang An district. When I became a nun and entered the monastery of Excellent Merit, there lived, at that time, a subscriber, Chang by surname, a very wealthy man. He had a daughter, whose infant name was Chin Ko; the whole family came in the course of that year to the convent I was in, to offer incense, and as luck would have it they met Li Ya-nei, a brother of a secondary wife of the Prefect of the Ch'ang An Prefecture. This Li Ya-nei fell in love at first sight with her, and would wed Chin Ko as his wife. He sent go-betweens to ask her in marriage, but, contrary to his expectations, Chin Ko had already received the engagement presents of the son of the ex-Major of the Ch'ang An Prefecture. The Chang family, on the other hand, were afraid that if they withdrew from the match, the Major would not give up his claim, and they therefore replied that she was already promised to another. But, who would have thought it, this Mr. Li was seriously bent upon marrying the young lady. But while the Chang family were at a loss what plan to devise, and both parties were in a dilemma, the family of the Major came unexpectedly to hear of the news; and without even looking thoroughly into the matter, they there and then had recourse to insult and abuse. 'Is a girl,' they insinuated, 'to be promised to the sons of several families!' And obstinately refusing to allow the restitution of the betrothal presents, they at once had recourse to litigation and brought an action (against the girl's people.) That family was at their wits' end, and had no alternative but to find some one to go to the capital to obtain means of assistance; and, losing all patience, they insisted upon the return of the presents. I believe that the present commander of the troops at Ch'ang An, Mr. Yuen, is on friendly terms with your honourable family, and could one solicit madame Wang to put in a word with Mr. Chia Cheng to send a letter and ask Mr. Yuen to speak to that Major, I have no fear that he will not agree. Should (your ladyship) be willing to take action, the Chang family are even ready to present all they have, though it may entail the ruin of their estate.'
'This affair is, it's true, of no great moment,' lady Feng replied smiling, after hearing this appeal; 'but the only thing is that madame Wang does no longer attend to matters of this nature.'
'If madame doesn't heed them,' suggested the old nun, 'you, my lady, can safely assume the direction.'
'I'm neither in need of any money to spend,' added lady Feng with a smirk, 'nor do I undertake such matters!'
These words did not escape Ching Hsue's ear; they scattered to the winds her vain hopes. After a minute or so she heaved a sigh.
'What you say may be true enough,' she remarked; 'but the Chang family are also aware that I mean to come and make my appeal to your mansion; and were you now not to manage this affair, the Chang family having no idea that the lack of time prevents any steps being taken and that no importance is attached to their presents, it will appear, on the contrary, as if there were not even this little particle of skill in your household.'
At these words lady Feng felt at once inspirited. 'You've known of old,' she added, 'that I've never had any faith in anything concerning retribution in the Court of Judgment in the unseen or in hell; and that whatever I say that I shall do, that I do; tell them therefore to bring three thousand taels; and I shall then remedy this grievance of theirs.'
