红楼梦Chapter19_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter19

As he spoke， he lost control over his temper， and， getting into bed， he went to sleep.

the fact is that when Hsi Jen had been at home， and she heard her mother and brother express their intention of redeeming her back， she there and then observed that were she even at the point of death， she would not return home. When in past days， she had argued， you had no rice to eat， there remained myself， who was still worth several taels; and hadnt I urged you to sell me， wouldnt I have seen both father and mother die of starvation under my very eyes? and youve now had the good fortune of selling me into this place， where Im fed and clothed just like a mistress， and where Im not beaten by day， nor abused by night! Besides， though now father be no more， you two have anyhow by putting things straight again， so adjusted the family estate that it has resumed its primitive condition. And were you， in fact， still in straitened circumstances， and you could by redeeming me back， make again some more money， that would be well and good; but the truth is that theres no such need， and what would be the use for you to redeem me at such a time as this? You should temporarily treat me as dead and gone， and shouldnt again recall any idea of redeeming me!

Having in consequence indulged in a loud fit of crying， her mother and brother resolved， when they perceived her in this determined frame of mind， that for a fact there was no need for her to come out of service. What is more they had sold her under contract until death， in the distinct reliance that the Chia family， charitable and generous a family as it was， would， possibly， after no more than a few entreaties， make them a present of her person as well as the purchase money. In the second place， never had they in the Chia mansion ill-used any of those below; there being always plenty of grace and little of imperiousness. Besides， the servant-girls， who acted as personal attendants in the apartments of the old as well as of the young， were treated so far unlike the whole body of domestics in the household that the daughters even of an ordinary and penniless parentage could not have been so looked up to. And these considerations induced both the mother as well as her son to at once dispel the intention and not to redeem her， and when Pao-yue had subsequently paid them an unexpected visit， and the two of them (Pao-yue and Hsi Jen) were seen to be also on such terms， the mother and her son obtained a clearer insight into their relations， and still one more burden (which had pressed on their mind) fell to the ground， and as besides this was a contingency， which they had never reckoned upon， they both composed their hearts， and did not again entertain any idea of ransoming her.