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Yue-ts'un lost all patience with him， and withdrew again from the compound with the intention of going as far as the village public house to have a drink or two， so as to enhance the enjoyment of the rustic scenery. With easy stride， he accordingly walked up to the place. Scarcely had he passed the threshold of the public house， when he perceived some one or other among the visitors who had been sitting sipping their wine on the divan， jump up and come up to GREet him， with a face beaming with laughter.
"What a strange meeting！ What a strange meeting！" he exclaimed aloud.
Yue-ts'un speedily looked at him， （and remembered） that this person had， in past days， carried on business in a curio establishment in the capital， and that his surname was Leng and his style Tzu-hsing.
A mutual friendship had existed between them during their sojourn， in days of yore， in the capital； and as Yue-ts'un had entertained the highest opinion of Leng Tzu-hsing， as being a man of action and of GREat abilities， while this Leng Tzu-hsing， on the other hand， borrowed of the reputation of refinement enjoyed by Yue-ts'un， the two had consequently all along lived in perfect harmony and companionship.
"When did you get here？" Yue-ts'un eagerly inquired also smilingly. "I wasn't in the least aware of your arrival. This unexpected meeting is positively a strange piece of good fortune."
"I went home，" Tzu-hsing replied， "about the close of last year， but now as I am again bound to the capital， I passed through here on my way to look up a friend of mine and talk some matters over. He had the kindness to press me to stay with him for a couple of days longer， and as I after all have no urgent business to attend to， I am tarrying a few days， but purpose starting about the middle of the moon. My friend is busy to-day， so I roamed listlessly as far as here， never dreaming of such a fortunate meeting."
While speaking， he made Yue-ts'un sit down at the same table， and ordered a fresh supply of wine and eatables； and as the two friends chatted of one thing and another， they slowly sipped their wine.
the conversation ran on what had occurred after the separation， and Yue-ts'un inquired， "Is there any news of any kind in the capital？"
"there's nothing new whatever，" answered Tzu-hsing. "There is one thing however： in the family of one of your worthy kinsmen， of the same name as yourself， a trifling， but yet remarkable， occurrence has taken place."
"None of my kindred reside in the capital，" rejoined Yue-ts'un with a smile. "To what can you be alluding？"
"How can it be that you people who have the same surname do not belong to one clan？" remarked Tzu-hsing， sarcastically.
"In whose family？" inquired Yue-ts'un.
"the Chia family，" replied Tzu-hsing smiling， "whose quarters are in the Jung Kuo Mansion， does not after all reflect discredit upon the lintel of your door， my venerable friend."
"What！" exclaimed Yue-ts'un， "did this affair take place in that family？ Were we to begin reckoning， we would find the members of my clan to be anything but limited in number. Since the time of our ancestor Chia Fu， who lived while the Eastern Han dynasty occupied the Throne， the branches of our family have been numerous and flourishing； they are now to be found in every single province， and who could， with any accuracy， ascertain their whereabouts？ As regards the Jung-kuo branch in particular， their names are in fact inscribed on the same register as our own， but rich and exalted as they are， we have never presumed to claim them as our relatives， so that we have become more and more estranged."
