红楼梦Chapter16_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter16

Chia Lien smiled. How dare I presume to such an honour， he added by way of rejoinder; m unworthy of such attention! Many thanks， many thanks.

Ping Erh and the whole company of waiting-maids simultaneously paid their obeisance to him， and this ceremony concluded， they presented tea. Chia Lien thereupon made inquiries about the various matters， which had transpired in their home after his departure， and went on to thank lady Feng for all the trouble she had taken in the management of them.

How could I control all these manifold matters， remarked lady Feng; my experience is so shallow， my speech so dull and my mind so simple， that if any one showed me a club， I would mistake it for a pin. Besides， Im so tender-hearted that were any one to utter a couple of glib remarks， I couldnt help feeling my heart give way to compassion and sympathy. Ive had， in addition， no experience in any weighty questions; my pluck is likewise so very small that when madame Wang has felt in the least displeased， I have not been able to close my eyes and sleep. Urgently did I more than once resign the charge， but her ladyship wouldnt again aGREe to it; maintaining， on the contrary， that my object was to be at ease， and that I was not willing to reap experience. Leaving aside that she doesnt know that I take things so much to heart， that I can scoop the perspiration in handfuls， that I darent utter one word more than is proper， nor venture to recklessly take one step more than I ought to， you know very well which of the women servants， in charge of the menage in our household， is easy to manage! If ever I make the slightest mistake， they laugh at me and poke fun at me; and if I incline a little one way， they show their displeasure by innuendoes; they sit by and look on， they use every means to do harm， they stir up trouble， they stand by on safe ground and look on and dont give a helping hand to lift any one they have thrown over， and they are， one and all of them， old hands in such tricks. Im moreover young in years and not able to keep people in check， so that they naturally dont show any regard for me! What is still more ridiculous is that after the death of Jung Erhs wife in that mansion， brother Chen， time and again， begged madame Wang， on his very knees， to do him the favour to ask me to lend him a hand for several days. I repeatedly signified my refusal， but her ladyship gave her consent in order to oblige him， so that I had no help but to carry out her wish; putting， as is my wont， everything topsy-turvey， and making matters worse than they were; with the result that brother Chen up to this day bears me a grudge and regrets having asked for my assistance. When you see him to-morrow， do what you can to excuse me by him. Young as she is， tell him， and without experience of the world， who ever could have instigated Mr. Chia Cheng to make such a mistake as to choose her.