红楼梦Chapter6_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter6

My dear Mrs. Chou， enjoined lady Feng， give them all they want， as I cant attend to them myself; which said， they hastily passed over into the room on the eastern side.

Lady Feng having again called Mrs. Chou， asked her： When you first informed madame about them， what did she say? Our Lady observed， replied Chou Juis wife， that they dont really belong to the same family; that， in former years， their grandfather was an official at the same place as our old master; that hence it came that they joined ancestors; that these few years there hasnt been much intercourse (between their family and ours); that some years back， whenever they came on a visit， they were never permitted to go empty-handed， and that as their coming on this occasion to see us is also a kind attention on their part， they shouldnt be slighted. If theyve anything to say， (our lady continued)， tell lady Secunda to do the necessary， and that will be right.

Isnt it strange! exclaimed lady Feng， as soon as she had heard the message; since we are all one family， how is it Im not familiar even with so much as their shadow?

While she was uttering these words， old goody Liu had had her repast and come over， dragging Pan Erh; and， licking her lips and smacking her mouth， she expressed her thanks.

Lady Feng smiled. Do pray sit down， she said， and listen to what Im going to tell you. What you， old lady， meant a little while back to convey， Im already as much as yourself well acquainted with! Relatives， as we are， we shouldnt in fact have waited until you came to the threshold of our doors， but ought， as is but right， to have attended to your needs. But the thing is that， of late， the household affairs are exceedingly numerous， and our lady， advanced in years as she is， couldnt at a moment， it may possibly be， bethink herself of you all! Whats more， when I took over charge of the management of the menage， I myself didnt know of all these family connections! Besides， though to look at us from outside everything has a grand and splendid aspect， people arent aware that large establishments have such GREat hardships， which， were we to recount to others， they would hardly like to credit as true. But since youve now come from a great distance， and this is the first occasion that you open your mouth to address me， how can I very well allow you to return to your home with empty hands! By a lucky coincidence our lady gave， yesterday， to the waiting-maids， twenty taels to make clothes with， a sum which they havent as yet touched， and if you dont despise it as too little， you may take it home as a first instalment， and employ it for your wants.