Chinese Literature

two sides together, the mirror was whole again. When Ho saw the two sides joined together, he sobbed bitterly; and Feng was so moved that he shed tears too as he said: “The girl you married is my daughter. She is in the house now.”

He led Ho to the back to meet Yu-mei and they shed tears over each

other, after which Feng comforted them, a feast was spread to celebrate

the reunion and that night Ho stayed in the house. A few days later, Feng gave his son-in-law the official despatch and saw him off, telling his daughter to accompany her husband to his Kuangchow office to live there with him.

The following year Ho’s term of office expired, and on his way to report to the capital he brought his wife to Fengchow to say goodbye to her father. Feng had a thousand pieces of silver ready as his daughter’s dowry, and he sent officers to escort his son-in-law on the road.

Since the rebellion was old history now, Ho was sure that no one would make trouble for him; and he felt that the clan of Fan ought not to be without descendants; so when he reached the capital he sent in a report to the Ministry of Ceremony and resumed his original surname, but not his personal name. He now called himself Fan Cheng-hsin. Later he was promoted to be garrison commander of the Huai River Area, where he lived happily with his wife until they were old. As for the double mirror, it was treasured by his descendants for many generations. Translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang

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