"There's no flavour about it at all," resumed Pao-yü. "If you don't believe me taste it, and you'll find out for yourself."
Yü Ch'uan-erh in a tantrum actually put some of it to her lips.
"Well," laughed Pao-yü, "it is nice!"
This exclamation eventually enabled Yü Ch'uan to see what Pao-yü was driving at, for Pao-yü had in fact been trying to beguile her to have a mouthful.
"As, at one moment, you say you don't want any," she forthwith observed, "and now you say it is nice, I won't give you any."
While Pao-yü returned her smiles, he kept on earnestly entreating her to let him have some.
Yü Ch'uan-erh however would still not give him any; and she, at the same time, called to the servants to fetch what there was for him to eat. But the instant the waiting-maid put her foot into the room, servants came quite unexpectedly to deliver a message.
"Two nurses," they said, "have arrived from the household of Mr. Fu,
Secundus, to present his compliments. They have now come to see you, Mr.
Secundus." As soon as Pao-yü heard this report, he felt sure that they
must be nurses sent over from the household of Deputy Sub-Prefect, Fu
Shih.
This Fu Shih had originally been a pupil of Chia Cheng, and had, indeed, had to rely entirely upon the reputation enjoyed by the Chia family for the realisation of his wishes. Chia Cheng had, likewise, treated him with such genuine regard, and so unlike any of his other pupils, that he (Fu Shih) ever and anon despatched inmates from his mansion to come and see him so as to keep up friendly relations.
Pao-yü had at all times entertained an aversion for bold-faced men and unsophisticated women, so why did he once more, on this occasion, issue directions that the two matrons should be introduced into his presence? There was, in fact, a reason for his action. It was simply that Pao-yü had come to learn that Fu Shih had a sister, Ch'iu-fang by name, a girl as comely as a magnificent gem, and perfection itself, the report of outside people went, as much in intellect as in beauty. He had, it is true, not yet seen anything of her with his own eyes, but the sentiments, which made him think of her and cherish her, from a distance, were characterised by such extreme sincerity, that dreading lest he should, by refusing to admit the matrons, reflect discredit upon Fu Ch'iu-fang, he was prompted to lose no time in expressing a wish that they should be ushered in.