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This Mrs. Huang would not have had her temper ruffled had she not come to hear what had happened； but having heard about it， anger sprung from the very depths of her heart. "This fellow， Ch'in Chung，" she exclaimed， "is a relative of the Chia family， but is it likely that Jung Erh isn't， in like manner， a relative of the Chia family； and when relatives are many， there's no need to put on airs！ Besides， does his conduct consist， for the most part， of anything that would make one get any face？ In fact， Pao-yue himself shouldn't do injury to himself by condescending to look at him. But， as things have come to this pass， give me time and I'll go to the Eastern mansion and see our lady Chen and then have a chat with Ch'in Chung's sister， and ask her to decide who's right and who's wrong！"
Chin Jung's mother upon hearing these words was terribly distressed. "It's all through my hasty tongue，" she observed with vehemence， "that I've told you all， sister-in-law： but please， sister， give up at once the idea of going over to say anything about it！ Don't trouble yourself as to who is in the right， and who is in the wrong； for were any unpleasantness to come out of it， how could we here stand on our legs？ and were we not to stand on our legs， not only would we never be able to engage a tutor， but the result will be， on the contrary， that for his own person will be superadded many an expense for eatables and necessaries."
"What do I care about how many？" replied Mrs. Huang； "wait till I've spoken about it， and we'll see what will be the result." Nor would she accede to her sister-in-law's entreaties， but bidding， at the same time， the matron look after the carriage， she got into it， and came over to the Ning Mansion.
On her arrival at the Ning Mansion， she entered by the eastern side gate， and dismounting from the carriage， she went in to call on Mrs. Yu， the spouse of Chia Chen， with whom she had not the courage to put on any high airs； but gently and quietly she made inquiries after her health， and after passing some irrelevant remarks， she ascertained： "How is it I don't see lady Jung to-day？"
"I don't know，" replied Mrs. Yu， "what's the matter with her these last few days； but she hasn't been herself for two months and more； and the doctor who was asked to see her declares that it is nothing connected with any happy event. A couple of days back， she felt， as soon as the afternoon came， both to move， and both even to utter a word； while the brightness of her eyes was all dimmed； and I told her， 'You needn't stick to etiquette， for there's no use for you to come in the forenoon and evening， as required by conventionalities； but what you must do is， to look after your own health. Should any relative come over， there's also myself to receive them； and should any of the senior generation think your absence strange， I'll explain things for you， if you'll let me.'
"I also advised brother Jung on the subject： 'You shouldn't，' I said， 'allow any one to trouble her； nor let her be put out of temper， but let her quietly attend to her health， and she'll get all right. Should she fancy anything to eat， just come over here and fetch it； for， in the event of anything happening to her， were you to try and find another such a wife to wed， with such a face and such a disposition， why， I fear， were you even to seek with a lantern in hand， there would really be no place where you could discover her. And with such a temperament and deportment as hers， which of our relatives and which of our elders don't love her？' That's why my heart has been very distressed these two days！ As luck would have it early this morning her brother turned up to see her， but who would have fancied him to be such a child， and so ignorant of what is proper and not proper to do？ He saw well enough that his sister was not well； and what's more all these matters shouldn't have been recounted to her； for even supposing he had received the gravest offences imaginable， it behoved him anyhow not to have broached the subject to her！ Yesterday， one would scarcely believe it， a fight occurred in the school-room， and some pupil or other who attends that class， somehow insulted him； besides， in this business， there were a good many indecent and improper utterances， but all these he went and told his sister！ Now， sister-in-law， you are well aware that though （our son Jung's） wife talks and laughs when she sees people， that she is nevertheless imaginative and withal too sensitive， so that no matter what she hears， she's for the most part bound to brood over it for three days and five nights， before she loses sight of it， and it's from this excessive sensitiveness that this complaint of hers arises. Today， when she heard that some one had insulted her brother， she felt both vexed and angry； vexed that those fox-like， cur-like friends of his had moved right and wrong， and intrigued with this one and deluded that one； angry that her brother had， by not learning anything profitable， and not having his mind set upon study， been the means of bringing about a row at school； and on account of this affair， she was so upset that she did not even have her early meal. I went over a short while back and consoled her for a time， and likewise gave her brother a few words of advice； and after having packed off that brother of hers to the mansion on the other side， in search of Pao-yue， and having stood by and seen her have half a bowl of birds' nests soup， I at length came over. Now， sister-in-law， tell me， is my heart sore or not？ Besides， as there's nowadays no good doctor， the mere thought of her complaint makes my heart feel as if it were actually pricked with needles！ But do you and yours， perchance， know of any good practitioner？"
