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As he spoke， he lost control over his temper， and， getting into bed， he went to sleep.
the fact is that when Hsi Jen had been at home， and she heard her mother and brother express their intention of redeeming her back， she there and then observed that were she even at the point of death， she would not return home. "When in past days，" she had argued， "you had no rice to eat， there remained myself， who was still worth several taels； and hadn't I urged you to sell me， wouldn't I have seen both father and mother die of starvation under my very eyes？ and you've now had the good fortune of selling me into this place， where I'm fed and clothed just like a mistress， and where I'm not beaten by day， nor abused by night！ Besides， though now father be no more， you two have anyhow by putting things straight again， so adjusted the family estate that it has resumed its primitive condition. And were you， in fact， still in straitened circumstances， and you could by redeeming me back， make again some more money， that would be well and good； but the truth is that there's no such need， and what would be the use for you to redeem me at such a time as this？ You should temporarily treat me as dead and gone， and shouldn't again recall any idea of redeeming me！"
Having in consequence indulged in a loud fit of crying， her mother and brother resolved， when they perceived her in this determined frame of mind， that for a fact there was no need for her to come out of service. What is more they had sold her under contract until death， in the distinct reliance that the Chia family， charitable and generous a family as it was， would， possibly， after no more than a few entreaties， make them a present of her person as well as the purchase money. In the second place， never had they in the Chia mansion ill-used any of those below； there being always plenty of grace and little of imperiousness. Besides， the servant-girls， who acted as personal attendants in the apartments of the old as well as of the young， were treated so far unlike the whole body of domestics in the household that the daughters even of an ordinary and penniless parentage could not have been so looked up to. And these considerations induced both the mother as well as her son to at once dispel the intention and not to redeem her， and when Pao-yue had subsequently paid them an unexpected visit， and the two of them （Pao-yue and Hsi Jen） were seen to be also on such terms， the mother and her son obtained a clearer insight into their relations， and still one more burden （which had pressed on their mind） fell to the ground， and as besides this was a contingency， which they had never reckoned upon， they both composed their hearts， and did not again entertain any idea of ransoming her.
It must be noticed moreover that Hsi Jen had ever since her youth not been blind to the fact that Pao-yue had an extraordinary temperament， that he was self-willed and perverse， far even in excess of all young lads， and that he had， in addition， a good many peculiarities and many unspeakable defects. And as of late he had placed such reliance in the fond love of his grandmother that his father and mother even could not exercise any extreme control over him， he had become so much the more remiss， dissolute， selfish and unconcerned， not taking the least pleasure in what was proper， that she felt convinced， whenever she entertained the idea of tendering him advice， that he would not listen to her. On this day， by a strange coincidence， came about the discussion respecting her ransom， and she designedly made use， in the first instance， of deception with a view to ascertain his feelings， to suppress his temper， and to be able subsequently to extend to him some words of admonition； and when she perceived that Pao-yue had now silently gone to sleep， she knew that his feelings could not brook the idea of her return and that his temper had already subsided. She had never had， as far as she was concerned， any desire of eating chestnuts， but as she feared lest， on account of the cream， some trouble might arise， which might again lead to the same results as when Hsi Hsueeh drank the tea， she consequently made use of the pretence that she fancied chestnuts， in order to put off Pao-yue from alluding （to the cream） and to bring the matter speedily to an end. But telling forthwith the young waiting-maids to take the chestnuts away and eat them， she herself came and pushed Pao-yue； but at the sight of Pao-yue with the traces of tears on his face， she at once put on a smiling expression and said： "What's there in this to wound your heart？ If you positively do wish to keep me， I shall， of course， not go away！"
Pao-yue noticed that these words contained some hidden purpose， and readily observed： "Do go on and tell me what else I can do to succeed in keeping you here， for of my own self I find it indeed difficult to say how！"
"Of our friendliness all along，" Hsi Jen smilingly rejoined， "there's naturally no need to speak； but， if you have this day made up your mind to retain me here， it isn't through this friendship that you'll succeed in doing so. But I'll go on and mention three distinct conditions， and， if you really do accede to my wishes， you'll then have shown an earnest desire to keep me here， and I won't go， were even a sword to be laid on my neck！"
"Do tell me what these conditions are，" Pao-yue pressed her with alacrity， as he smiled， "and I'll assent to one and all. My dear sister， my own dear sister， not to speak of two or three， but even two or three hundred of them I'm quite ready to accept. All I entreat you is that you and all of you should combine to watch over me and take care of me， until some day when I shall be transformed into flying ashes； but flying ashes are， after all， not opportune， as they have form and substance and they likewise possess sense， but until I've been metamorphosed into a streak of subtle smoke. And when the wind shall have with one puff dispelled me， all of you then will be unable to attend to me， just as much as I myself won't be able to heed you. You will， when that time comes， let me go where I please， as I'll let you speed where you choose to go！"
these words so harassed Hsi Jen that she hastened to put her hand over his mouth. "Speak decently，" she said； "I was on account of this just about to admonish you， and now here you are uttering all this still more loathsome trash."
"I won't utter these words again，" Pao-yue eagerly added.
"This is the first fault that you must change，" Hsi Jen replied.
"I'll amend，" Pao-yue observed， "and if I say anything of the kind again you can wring my mouth； but what else is there？"
"the second thing is this，" Hsi Jen explained； "whether you really like to study or whether you only pretend to like study is immaterial； but you should， when you are in the presence of master， or in the presence of any one else， not do nothing else than find fault with people and make fun of them， but behave just as if you were genuinely fond of study， so that you shouldn't besides provoke your father so much to anger， and that he should before others have also a chance of saying something！ 'In my family，' he reflects within himself， 'generation after generation has been fond of books， but ever since I've had you， you haven't accomplished my expectations， and not only is it that you don't care about reading books，'——and this has already filled his heart with anger and vexation，——'but both before my face and behind my back， you utter all that stuff and nonsense， and give those persons， who have， through their knowledge of letters， attained high offices， the nickname of the "the salaried worms." You also uphold that there's no work exclusive （of the book where appears） "fathom spotless virtue；" and that all other books consist of foolish compilations， which owe their origin to former authors， who， unable themselves to expound the writings of Confucius， readily struck a new line and invented original notions.' Now with words like these， how can one wonder if master loses all patience， and if he does from time to time give you a thrashing！ and what do you make other people think of you？"
"I won't say these things again，" Pao-yue laughingly protested， "these are the reckless and silly absurdities of a time when I was young and had no idea of the height of the heavens and the thickness of the earth； but I'll now no more repeat them. What else is there besides？"
