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Lady Feng saw Chao Erh on his return， but as she could not very well， in the presence of third persons， make minute inquiries after Chia Lien， she had to continue a prey to inward solicitude till it was time to go home， for， not having got through what she had to do， she was compelled to wait patiently until she went back in the evening， when she again sent word for Chao Erh to come in， and asked him with all minuteness whether the journey had been pleasant throughout， and for full particulars. That very night， she got in readiness the long pelisses， which she herself， with the assistance of P'ing Erh， packed up in a bundle； and after careful thought as to what things he would require， she put them in the same bundle and committed them to Chao Erh's care. She went on to solicitously impress upon Chao Erh to be careful in his attendance abroad. "Don't provoke your master to wrath，" she said， "and from time to time do advise him not to drink too much wine； and don't entice him to make the acquaintance of any low people； for if you do， when you come back I will cut your leg off."
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 K'ung， 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 K'ung 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.
Lady Feng， seeing that the day was not far distant， also apportioned duties and made provision for everything beforehand with circumspect care； while at the same time she chose in the Jung mansion， such carriages， sedan chairs and retinue as were to accompany the cortege， in attendance upon madame Wang， and gave her mind furthermore to finding a place where she herself could put up in at the time of the funeral. About this very time， it happened that the consort of the Duke Shan Kuo departed this life， and that mesdames Wang and Hsing had likewise to go and offer sacrifices， and to follow the burial procession； that the birthday occurred of the consort of Prince Hsi An； that presents had to be forwarded on the occasion of this anniversary； and that the consort of the Duke of Chen Kuo gave birth to a first child， a son， and congratulatory gifts had， in like manner， to be provided. Besides， her uterine brother Wang Jen was about to return south， with all his family， and she had too to write her home letters， to send her reverent compliments to her father and mother， as well as to get the things ready that were to be taken along. There was also Ying Ch'un， who had contracted some illness， and the doctor had every day to be sent for， and medicines to be administered， the notes of the doctor to be looked after， consisting of the bulletins of the diagnosis and the prescriptions， with the result that the various things that had to be attended to by lady Feng were so manifold that it would， indeed， be difficult to give an exhaustive idea of them.
In addition to all this， the day for taking the coffin away was close at hand， so that lady Feng was so hard pressed for time that she had even no desire for any tea to drink or anything to eat， and that she could not sit or rest in peace. As soon as she put her foot into the Ning mansion， the inmates of the Jung mansion would follow close upon her heels； and the moment she got back into the Jung mansion， the servants again of the Ning mansion would follow her about. In spite however of this GREat pressure， lady Feng， whose natural disposition had ever been to try and excel， was urged to strain the least of her energies， as her sole dread was lest she should incur unfavourable criticism from any one； and so excellent were the plans she devised， that every one in the clan， whether high or low， readily conceded her unlimited praise.
