Chinese Literature

of food and clothing and if she happens to get a good master, she'll live a comfortable life. Didn’t all go well with Kuei-sheng’s daughter, Chuerh, and Ling Tao-san’s Tao-shiu? Besides, Mr. EIS Taser

“Cousin, now I feel I just simply cannot sell her. Last year when we were so hard up, we even went begging to Hupeh, but we still refused to sell her. There’s more reason why I can’t sell her this year. She, my baby Ying, my flesh and blood, oh... .”

“Ah!” said Hsia, the bearded.man, shooting a quick glance at Baldy.

“What, Yun-pu?” cut in Baldy hurriedly. “Changed your mind? Last night it was all decided... .” But before he finished the sentence Mrs. Yun-pu rushed at her husband crying and cursing at the same time:

“Tt’s all your fault, you old devil! You can’t even support your children and you call yourself a man! Now that you have nothing to put into your stomach, you go ahead and sell my daughter! Oh, youre just good for nothing, and fit only to die. Oh, you wretch! We might as well all die together and be done with it. Sell my daughter, will you? No, a thousand times no!”

‘Didn’t you agree to it last night? I didn’t make the decision alone. Baldy, isn’t she a shrew!” Yun-pu backed away from his wife, his face stained with tears.

“Tet’s go,” said the bearded man impatiently. He stood up.

But Baldy quickly stopped him: “Wait a little. She'll think better of it in a moment. Come, Yun-pu, let’s talk outside.”

Baldy dragged Uncle Yun-pu away, but Mrs. Yun-pu continued to ery and rave. Li-chiu went up to her and helped her to a bench. He knew that the factors leading to this tragedy were not simple. The family had had nothing to eat for three days. No one wanted to buy rain hats any more, yet the work in the field could not be left undone. Therefore when Baldy came last night and made the proposition, Li-chiu had not opposed it with much heat. Although he was heartbroken about his sister and hated to have her sold, there was no other way to help them out of the present predicament outside of this last resort. He had lain awake the whole night, torn by the sorrow and conflict in his heart. He had felt that he couldn’t bear to even look at his poor little sister who was soon to be sold, and had got up before daybreak. Now that his mother was crying so bitterly, he had not the heart to tell her that it was

- all necessary and unavoidable.

‘

“Come, Mama, just let them go!”

Mrs. Yun-pu made no reply. Baldy and Uncle Yun-pu returned; once again everyone was silent.

“Well, Sister, what is your final decision?” asked Baldy.

“Cousin, will my Ying-ying be able to come home sometime once she is gone?”

“She will if she finds a master near by. Besides, you people can go to see her often.”

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