world of men, I would止 ke to go too盒迁I四匐hm with as many tear as I can shed in a lifetime I may be able to clear this debt This induced any amorou apirit who bad not atoned for their ains to accompany the and take part in this That certainly is odd, "remarked the Taoist. "Tve gever heard of repayment with tears before. I imagine this story should have more fine points than the usual run of breeze and-mgonlight tales h The old romandes dive us only outlines of their charact lives with aumber of poems about theia, Raid the moat Were never told the details of their intiate family life or daily meal Bides, most breeze-and-moonlight tales deal with rearet aaigoations and elopements, and have never teally expressed the true love between a young man and a gid. I'm sure when these spirits go down to eArth, well see lovers and leben, worthy people, simpletons and scoundrels unlike thoic Why doo't you and I take this chance to ga too aad win over few of the? That would be a worthy deed Exactly what I was thin ipg But fint we must take thi stupid object to the palace of the Goddess of Disenchantment and cleat all the formalities After all thee nom mantle souls have gooe down we can follow. So far ooly half of them beve e to earth a that c" e I'm ready to go with you”"8 aid the了aoi Chen Shik-yin bad beand every word of their conversation but did not know what war meant by the"stupid object He could aot redist accosting them with a bow Gpectinggh immortal masters be aaid with a smile. When they bnd returned his grouting be conti血usd:“Rnc indeed i the opportunity to listen如ε ch a dimension o and foots a i bave just heard, But I am too dull to geap it. If you woald kindly docidate如 enig bten me, I promise如 listen most attentively. For porting by your windom may
CH- 1 "This is a mystery which we cannot divulge. "The two immortals smiled. when the time comes, think of u, Thep nay be able to escape from the fiery pit. Shihr-yia could hardly preas them. ."I murtn't probe into a mystery, he said, but could you show ne that object you mentioned just now? If you want to know, you are destined in your life to meet with it, said the honk. With that he produced a beautiful piece of translucent jade nd banded it to Shih-yin. Oa the obverse were carved the words Precious Jade of Spiritual Understaading. Before Shih yin could look carefully at the columns of smaller characters on the reverse the monk snatched it mway from him, saying: we've reached the Land of illusion He paused with the Taoist through a lArge atone archway on which was inscribed: Illusory Land of Great Void. A aplet on the two pillar read: When false i taken for true, troe become falc being become Boa belng. Shih-yin was starting after the two immortals when he heard a fearful crash, as if mountains had collapsed and the earth split asunder. With a cry he woke up and stared about hin There was the fiery sun still blazing down on the rustling ntain leaves. Alrcady half of his dream bad slipped his The nurse cameψ p then with Ying lien in her arm,and止 uck Shih-yin that his daughter was growing prettier and more lovable every day. He picked her up and played with ber for a while, then took her to the gate to watch a religious procession pass by. He was just about如 go in again when县 monk and a Taoist priest drew near, laughing and gibbering like two maniac. The monk was barefooted, his head scabby: the priest, Lame with tangled tousled hair. When they reache Shin-yin's gate and saw the child in his arms, the monk burat into lameneaHiops Why are you carrying that ill-fated creature, sir?"he asked "She will bring nothing but trouble to her parents
nAM萨FR: D MANSIONS Shib-yin thought the man was caving and paid no attention Give her to mel"cried the monk "Give her to mel Losing patience, Shih-yin clasped his daughter more tightly and was turning to re-enter the house when the moak pointed at him and let out a roar of laughter. he then declaimed a for this tender child An image in the mirror, snow belting wa Beware what will follow the Lantera feast The vanishing like smoke when the fire burns out. Shih-yin, hearing this clearly, wondered what it meant, Be- fore he could ask, the taoist told the monk: This is where our paths divide, Each must go about bis own business. Three aeons from now i shall wait for you at Mount Peiming, and together we can go to the Land of illu sion to have this affair expunged from the register. " ood, aaid the monk Then both vanished without a trace Shih-yin realized thea that these were o ordinary men and regretted not having questioned them. His rueful reflections were cut short by the arrival of a poor scholar who lived next door io Gourd Temple. His name was Chia Hua, his courtesy name Shib-fei, and his pen-name Yu-tsun. A native of Hu chow, he was the last of a line of scholars and officials. His parents had exhausted the family property and died leaving him alone ia the world Since nothing was to be gained by staying at home, he had set out for the capital in the hope of securing a position and restoring the family fortunes. But by the time he had reached here a couple of years ago his money had run out and he had gone to live in the temple where he nade a precarious living by working as a scrivener. For this reason Shib-yin saw a good deal of him, Having greeted Shih-yin, Yu-tsun asked, What are you watching from your gate, sir? Is there any news in town " Nothing was the reply. My little girl was crying,so I brought her out to play. You couldn,'t have arrived at a bet Homophone for false talk
CHATER 1 tar moment, as I was feeling thoroughly bored. Come in and help me while away the long summer day He told a servant to take his daughter inside, and led Yu tsun into his study, where a boy served tea. Thep had not ex- hanged many remarks when a servant hurried in to announce the arrival of a certain Mr. Yeo Then Shih-yi In excuse ed himself, saying, Forgive my rude- ness. Do you mind waiting bere for a few minutes?" Dont stand on ceremony, sir, "said Yu-tsun, rising regular guest here, I don' t mind waiting So after Shih-yin went to the front room Yu-tsun passed the time by leafing thtough some be B ag outside. He slipped over to the window and it was a maid picking flowers. She h mon features, bright eyes and graceful eyebrows, and although y she possessed considerable ch u-tsun ared at her, spell-bound Just as she was leaving with her flower, the girl abruptly looked up and caught sight of him. His clothes were shabb y yet he was powerfully built with an open face, firm lips, eye- brows like scimitars, eyes like stars, a straight nose and round- le turned away thinking to herself, "He' s a fine looking man for all his tattered clothes. This must be Chia Yu-tsun my master keeps talking about, whom he'd gladly help if only he had the chance. Yes, I'm sure it's him, our tamily has no other friends who are poor. No wonder y master also says he's a man who won't remain lung in this plight. She could not resist looking back a couple of times Yu-tsun seeing this was overjoyed, thinking that she must have taken a fancy to him. He decided that she had gudgement and was one of the few who could appreciate him In his obscurity. Presently the boy came back and let Yu-tsun know that the guest was staying to a meal. Since this made it out of the question to wait any longer, Yu-tsun went through a passage to the side gate and left. And after the departure of Mr. Yen Shib -yin did not trouble to invite him back
A DREAM OF RED MANSKONS In time the Mid-Autumn Festival came round. After the family meal, Shih-yin had another table laid in his study and strolled over in the moonlight to the temple to invite YI dun over Ever since the Chens maid had looked back that day, Y u sun flattered himself that she was well-disposed to him and thought of her constantly. As he gazed at the full moon, his thoughts tumed to her again and he declaimed this verse Not yet divined the fate in store for me. Good reamon have I for saiety. And to my brow are koit dapondentr: But she, u the went off, lookt bad at me My shadow in the wind in all I see Will she by moonlight keep c company If senility were in It power The mooa should finat light op the fair one's bower Having recited this, Yu-taun rumpled his hair and sighed as he refected how far he was from realizing his ambitions He chanted the couplet hcin如 e cuke long to soar on big" tbe jade in the bor bopa t fetch a roo He was overheard by Shih-yin, who arrived just thea I we you have high ambitions, Brother Ytsun! "he joked “ Not ia the least" replied Yu-tsun,mewh眈 t embarrassed M wu merely reciting some lina by a former poet. I don't aspire so high. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Tonight is mid-autumn, commonly known as the Festival of Reunion. It occurred to me that you might be feeling lonely humble place and wonder if you' d condescend to thⅳ≌ in this temple, brother Ive prepared a little wine in Yutsun nee ded no urging ' You lavish too much kindnes cn me, sir,"he said. "Noth ing would please me better. They went to the court in froat of Shih-yin's study. Soon they had finished their tea and sat down to a collation of choice wine and delicacies. At first they sipped slowly, but their spirits rose as they talked and they began to drink more re