红楼梦Chapter14_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter14

the preparations were hurriedly and confusedly completed; and it was already the fourth watch of the night when she went to sleep. But soon again the day dawned， and after hastily performing her toilette and ablutions， she came over to the Ning Mansion.

As Chia Chen realised that the day for escorting the body away was drawing nigh， he in person went out in a curricle， along with geomancers， to the Temple of the Iron Fence to inspect a suitable place for depositing the coffin. He also， point by point， enjoined the resident managing-bonze， Se Kung， to mind and get ready brand-new articles of decoration and furniture， and to invite a considerable number of bonzes of note to be at hand to lend their services for the reception of the coffin.

Se Kung lost no time in getting ready the evening meal， but Chia Chen had， in fact， no wish for any tea or rice; and， as the day was far advanced and he was not in time to enter the city， he had， after all， to rest during that night as best he could in a chaste room in the temple. The next morning， as soon as it was day， he hastened to come into the city and to make every preparation for the funeral. He likewise deputed messengers to proceed ahead to the Temple of the Iron Fence to give， that very night， additional decorative touches to the place where the coffin was to be deposited， and to get ready tea and all the other necessaries， for the use of the persons who would be present at the reception of the coffin.