CHAPER 1 23 lessly. The sound of flutes and strings could be heard from all the houses in the neighbourhood; everywhere was singing; and overhead the bright moon shone in full splendour. The two men becae very merry and drained cup after cup Yu-tsua, eight-tenths drunk, could not suppress his elation He improvised a quatrain to the moon and declaimed it "On the fifteenth the moon is full Bathing jade balustrades with her pure light; As her bright arb naiIs up the sky I men on earth gaze upwards at the sight. Excellent!"cried Shib-yio. "I've always maintained that you were cut out for, great things. These lines foretell rapid advancement. Very soon you will be treading upon the clouds. Let me congratulate you. He filled another large cup. Yu-tsun tossed it off and then Dont think this is just drunken talk ""he said "I'm sure I could acquit myself quite creditably in the examinations: but I have no money in my wallet for travelling expenses and the capital is far away. I can't raise enough as a scrivener.." Why didn't you say so before? " interposed Shih-yin."I've often wondered about this, but siace you never mentioned it i didnt like to broach the subject. If that' s how things are, dull as i am at least I know what' s due to a friend Luckily the Metropolitan Examinations are coming up next year. You must go as fast as you can to the capital and prove your learn- ing in the Spring Test I shal count it a privilege to take care of the travelling expenses and other business for you He sent his boy in to fetch fifty taels of silver and two suits of wiater clothes, The nineteenth is a good day for travelling, "he continued You can hire a boat then and start your journey westward. How good it will to meet again next winter after you have soared up to dizzy heights. Yu-tsun accepted the silver and clothes with no mote than perfunctory thanks, then said no more of the matter but went
o0 feat g and talking. They did not part until the third ch, when Shih-yin saw his friend off and returned room to aleep until the sun was high in the sky. Then, remem- bering the previous night' business, he decided to write Yu tsun two letters of introduction to certain officials in the capital ho might put hi but the servant sent to ask his friend over brought back word, Tbe monk says that Mr. Chia lcft for the capital at the fifth watch this morning. He asked the monk to tell ac scholars are not superstitious about lucky or unluck s btt like to act accordint to reason; so be. had no time to say goodbye in person This Shih-yin had Uneventful days pass quickly. In a flash the merry Festival of Lanterns came round and Shih-yin told his servant Huo Chi to take Ying lien out to aee the firework and ornamental lanterns. Towarda midnight Huo Chi act the little girl down on a doorstep while he stepped gound the cornet to urinate When he came back she had gone. He made a frantic search for her all night. And at dawn, not daring to face his master without her, he ran away to another district. Shibr-yin and his wife were naturally alarmed when their daughter failed to come home. They seat search parties'oiut but all returned without any word of her. She was the middie- aged coupke's only child, and her loss nearly drove them distracted. They wept day and night and were tempted to take their own live. After a month's gric Shih-yin fell ill, and then his wife. Every day. they sent for doctor TheD, on the fifteenth day of the third month, a Fre broke out in Gourd Temple-the monk preparing the sacrifice care- leasly let a pan of oif catch fire and soon the window paper was alight. Since most of the nearby buildings had bamboo walls and were probably doomed to destruction, the spread erom bouse bo bouse until the whole street was abl like a damming mountain. Soldiers and civilians tried to put out the fire, but it was beyond control. The conflagration raged
CHAPTE 1 for a whole night and destroyed none knew how many houses before it burned itself out. The Chens' bome, being next to the temple, was reduced to a pile of rubble. although they and their few servants were lucky enough to escape with their lives, poor Shih-yin could do nothing but stamp his fect and igh He and his wife decided then to go and live on their earm But the last few years harvests had bcen ruined by flood and drought and the countryside was overrun by bandits who seized fields and land, giving the people no peace. The punitive expeditions by government troops only made matters worse. Finding it impossible to settle there, Shih-yin had to mortgage his land and take his wife and two maids to find refuge with father-in-law Feng Su, Now this Feng Su, a native of Tajuchou, although only a armer was quite comfortably of. He was not pleased by the arrival of his daughter and son-in-law in this sorry state. For- tunately Shih-yin had some money left from the mortgage of his land, and he asked Feng Su to invest this for him in some estate on which he could live in Future. His father-in-law tricked him, however, by pocketing half the Su 1 ouying him some poor fields and a ramshackle cottage. As a scholar Shih-yin had no knowledge of business or farming. He strug gled along for a year or two, losing money all the time, while Feng Su kept admonishing him to his face and complaining to all and sundry behind his back of his incompetence idleness and extravagance. To the shock Shih-yin had suffered the previous year and the toll taken by his subsequent misfortunes was now added the bitter realization that he had misplaced his trust. Ageing and a prey to poverty and ill health, he began to look like a man with one foot in the grave. He made the effort one day to find some distraction by tak ing a walk in the street, leaning on his cane. Suddenly a Taoist limped towards him, a seeming maniac in hemp sandals and tattered clothes who as he came chanted
典DM∝ RED MANSNN All men long to be immortal Ye to riche and nnk each api【 The great one of old, where are they now? Their grave are mm of brian Al ea long to be immortals Yet silver and gold they prize And grub for money all their lives Till death seals up their eyes All ea long to be immortal Yet date oo the wives they've wed who wear to love their husband evermore But remarry as soon as he' s dead Al men long to be immortal Yet with getting soas won't have done. Although fand parents are legion, Who cver aw g really Glial son? At the close of this song Shih-yin stepped forward What was that you just chanted" he asked " I had the impression that it was about the vanity of all things If you gathered chat, you have some understanding, " the Taoist remarked. "You should know that all good things in this world must end, and to make an end for thee ia nothing good which does not end. My song is called Au Good Things Must End Shil-yin with bis innate intelligence at once grasped the other't meaning. Putting on a smile he aaid, "wait a iambe Will you let me expound chis song of yours? By all means do, said the Taoist. Shib-yin then declaimed Mean huts snd empty ball Where amble od mobility oace lung: red and withered tree, ea have one danced and sung Curved beas are swathe in cobwebs But brir-choked cement reened again with While yet the rouge is freh, the powder fagrafutec Te hir at the temples turns hoar Yerterday yellow clay reoeived white bone Today, red lanterns light the love-birdr'neat wtle atn witt gold and tilver by the chat Turn beggar, scorned by all and diaposseaaed
cHm.1 A lEe art sboxt ant oment ake oae slgh, Who would have kaow如 wt to die2 No matter with what pains he schools his sonL, who nows if they will toca to brigands? A pampered firl brought up in luxury My alp into盏 quarter ofⅢ Resentment nt low officio rnk Mr led to icter and a felons hume ooe shivered yester▲y Today a purple robe be frown upoa; A" strife and tumult on the·ae A。 ae mun eads his womg the teaxt do￠ To take strange part a home I foll And a oor labour in the end d№ tor so vege de to wer"° The lame eccentic Taoist cLapped his hands. " Y ou have hit the nail on the head, he cried 叮灬ago" was shih-yin" bricf rep↓ He transferred the sack from the Taoint's shoulder to his own,and then, without even calling in at his bome, he strode off with the priest This caused a sensation in the neighbourhood and word of sooD reached Shibr-yin's wife, who瓤vewa如a毗 om of weeping. After consultation with her father she had a thorough search made, but there was ao news of her busband. She had perforce to go back and live with her parents. Luckily she still had her two maids, and the three of them by sewing day and night helped to defray Fe Fot bis part grumble as he might, be bad to lump it. One day the elder of the two maids waa buying some thread at the gate when she heard men shouting to clear the strect, and people said the new prefer had arrived to take up ofice. She hid in the doorway to watch. Firat soldiers and runner arched part two by two. Then came a large sedan-chair in which was sented an officil in惠blad驷 uze cap and red robe. The maid stared in surprise aad thought: His Face looks famil Have I seen him somewhere before? But once back in the bouse sbe thought no more of the matter