红楼梦Chapter13_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter13

What matters are these? inquired lady Feng.

Though at the graves of our ancestors， explained Mrs. Chin， sacrifices and oblations be offered at the four seasons， theres nevertheless no fixed source of income. In the second place， the family school is， it is true， in existence; but it has no definite grants-in-aid. According to my views， now that the times are prosperous， theres， as a matter of course， no lack of offerings and contributions; but by and bye， when reverses set in， whence will these two outlays be met from? Would it not be as well， and my ideas are positive on this score， to avail ourselves of the present time， when riches and honours still reign， to establish in the immediate vicinity of our ancestral tombs， a large number of farms， cottages， and estates， in order to enable the expenditure for offerings and grants to entirely emanate from this source? And if the household school were also established on this principle， the old and young in the whole clan can， after they have， by common consent， determined upon rules， exercise in days to come control， in the order of the branches， over the affairs connected with the landed property， revenue， ancestral worship and school maintenance for the year (of their respective term.) Under this rotatory system， there will likewise be no animosities; neither will there be any mortgages， or sales， or any of these numerous malpractices; and should any one happen to incur blame， his personal effects can be confiscated by Government. But the properties， from which will be derived the funds for ancestral worship， even the officials should not be able to appropriate， so that when reverses do supervene， the sons and grandsons of the family may be able to return to their homes， and prosecute their studies， or go in for farming. Thus， while they will have something to fall back upon， the ancestral worship will， in like manner， be continued in perpetuity. But， if the present affluence and splendour be looked upon as bound to go on without intermission， and with no thought for the day to come， no enduring plan be after all devised， presently， in a little while， there will， once again， transpire a felicitous occurrence of exceptional kind， which， in point of fact， will resemble the splendour of oil scorched on a violent fire， or fresh flowers decorated with brocades. You should bear in mind that it will also be nothing more real than a transient pageant， nothing but a short-lived pleasure! Whatever you do， dont forget the proverb， that theres no banquet， however sumptuous， from which the guests do not disperse; and unless you do， at an early date， take precautions against later evils， reGREt will， I apprehend， be of no avail.