红楼梦Chapter22_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter22

　　My mother-in-law， explained lady Feng， is also as fond of Pao-yue as you are， so much so that I havent anywhere I could go and give vent to my grievances; and instead of (showing me some regard) you say that Im overbearing in my speech!

　　With these words， she again enticed dowager lady Chia to laugh for a while. The old lady continued in the highest of spirits， and， when evening came， and they all appeared in her presence to pay their obeisance， her ladyship made it a point， while the whole company of ladies and young ladies were engaged in chatting， to ascertain of Pao-chai what play she liked to hear， and what things she fancied to eat.

　　Pao-chai was well aware that dowager lady Chia， well up in years though she was， delighted in sensational performances， and was partial to sweet and tender viands， so that she readily deferred， in every respect， to those things， which were to the taste of her ladyship， and enumerated a whole number of them， which made the old lady become the more exuberant. And the next day， she was the first to send over clothes， nicknacks and such presents， while madame Wang and lady Feng， Tai-yue and the other girls， as well as the whole number of inmates had all presents for her， regulated by their deGREe of relationship， to which we need not allude in detail.

　　When the 21st arrived， a stage of an ordinary kind， small but yet handy， was improvised in dowager lady Chias inner court， and a troupe of young actors， who had newly made their debut， was retained for the nonce， among whom were both those who could sing tunes， slow as well as fast. In the drawing rooms of the old lady were then laid out several tables for a family banquet and entertainment， at which there was not a single outside guest; and with the exception of Mrs. Hsueeh， Shih Hsiang-yuen， and Pao-chai， who were visitors， the rest were all inmates of her household.