Chinese Literature

she baby good luck and a long life. The host’s face flushed with joy as if reflecting the reddening glow of the setting sun. :

Late in the afternoon, just before the banquet, there came into the courtyard from the deepening twilight outside an uninvited guest, who attracted the attention of all the others. He was an emaciated-looking peasant, dressed in patched clothes and with unkempt hair, carrying under his arm a paper-parcel. Greatly astonished and puzzled, the host went up to inquire where he hailed from. While the newcomer was stammering, it suddenly occurred to the host that this was none other than the skin dealer—the young woman’s husband. Thereupon, the host said in a low voice,

“Why do you bring a gift? You really shouldn’t have done this!”

The newcomer looked timidly about, saying,

‘T ... JT had to come... I’ve come to wish the baby a long life.

Before he had finished speaking, he began to open the package he had brought. Tearing off three paper wrappings with his quivering fingers, he took out four bronze-cast and silver-plated Chinese characters, about one square inch in size, which said that the baby would live as long as the South Mountain. -

The scholar’s wife appeared on the scene, and looked displeased when she saw the skin dealer. The scholar, however, invited the skin dealer to the table, where the guests sat whispering about him.

The guests wined and dined for two hours and everybody was feeling happy and excited. They indulged in noisy drinking games and plied one another with big bowls of wine. The deafening uproar rocked the house. Nobody paid any attention to the skin dealer who sat silently after drinking two cups of wine. Having enjoyed their wine, the guests each hurriedly took a bowl of rice; and, bidding one another farewell, they dispersed in twos and threes, carrying lighted lanterns in their hands.

The skin dealer sat there eating until the servants came to clear the table. Then he walked to a dark corner of the veranda where he found his wife.

“What did you come for?” asked the young woman with an extremely sad note in her voice.

“T didn’t want to come, but I just couldn’t help it.”

“Then why did you come so late?”

“T eouldn’t get any money to buy a birthday gift. I spent the whole morning begging for a loan and then I had to go to town to buy the gift. I was tired and hungry. That’s why I came late.”

The young woman asked, “How’s Chun Pao?”

Her husband reflected for a moment and then answered,

“Tt?gs for Chun Pao’s sake that ’ve come. .. .”

“Hoy Chun Pao’s sake!” she echoed in surprise. He went on slowly,

“Gince this summer Chun Pao has grown very skinny. In the

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