Chinese Literature

As the proverb says: Spring is the time for flowers, and wine is the handmaid of love!

Hsiu-hsiu asked Tsui: “Do you remember that day when we were watching the moon’on the tower, when the prince promised to marry me to you, and you thanked him. Do you remember that ag

Tsui put his hands together-respectfully and muttered: “Yes.”

“That day,” said Hsiu-hsiu, “everybody cheered you and said what a fine couple we would make. How could you have forgotten 2

Once more, Tsui simply mumbled: “Yes.”

“Why should we go on waiting? Why not become husband and wife tonight? What do you think?”

“T dare not.”

‘Tf you refuse,” she threatened, “I shall call out and get you into trouble. What did you bring me to your house for, anyway? I shall eo and tell them at the palace tomorrow.”

“Very well, miss,’ said Tsui. “We can be husband and wife if you like. But on one condition: we must go away. We can take advantage of this fire and confusion to slip away tonight.”

“Since I am your wife now,” said Hsiu-hsiu, “I'll do as you think

best.” : That night they became husbard and wife; and before dawn they left, carrying their money and possessions with them. Stopping for meals on the way, resting at night and travelling by day, they finally came to Chuchow.

“There are five highways out of this town,” said Tsui. “Which way shall we take? Suppose we go to Hsinchow? I ama jade worker and I have friends in that city, so we may be able to settle down there.” Accordingly they took the road to Hsinchow.

After they had been a few days in Hsinchow, however, Tsui said: ‘Many people travel to and fro between here and the capital, and if anyone tells the prince that we are here, he will certainly send men to arrest us. We aren’t safe here. We had better go somewhere else.” Then they set out again for Tanchow.

After some time they reached Tanchow, which was a long way from the capital. They rented a house in the market-place, and put up a signboard on which was written: Tsui, the jade worker from the capital.

“We are nearly a thousand miles from the capital now,” Tsui told Hsiu-hsiu. “I think we should be all right. We can set our minds at ease and live the rest of our lives as husband and wife.”

There were some officials in Tanchow, and, when they found that Tsui was a skilled worker from the capital, they gave him work from time to time.

Tsui made secret inquiries about the Prince of Hsienan, and learned from someone who had been to the capital that during the fire that night a maid had disappeared from the palace; a reward had been offered

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