Yet she saluted the ma-ma with two genuflexions. La Chia shook his
two hands joined together. Thus the married pair left that not too
pleasant old woman:
Even as a carp escapes the metal hook,
Flirts its tail and shakes its head
And returns not.
In front of the door La Chia said to his mistress:
"Wait a moment! I will call a little palankeen to take you to the
house of Liu."
She answered:
"In this very court are my friends, my sisters, who have always been
in sympathy with me.
"I must take leave of them; and I cannot neglect to thank them for the
money they have lent me."
Accompanied by her Lord, she went to each pavilion to greet her
friends. Now, one of them, Yuch-lang, was a very close friend of
Shih-niang, so, seeing that she had not done her hair, she led her to
her own toilet-table, and ran to call another friend, Hsu Su-Su. Then
she took from her coffers many ornaments of king-fisher leather
and bracelets and jasper pins, even embroidered robes and girdles
ornamented with phoenix. She gave them to Shih-niang, over-coming her
with gratitude.
She also ordered a feast of congratulation, to which all their friends
were invited, and finally, at the end of day, offered the pair a bed
for the night.
When she was alone with Li Chia, Shih-niang asked:
"Where shall we go when we have left the capital? Has my Lord made a
decision on this point?"
"My father," he answered, "is still angry with me.
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