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The suggestionpleased Jia Zheng when it was in due course relayed to him by Lady Wang.‘Of course. That is just what we should do.I am glad you reminded me.’ 王夫人听了，便商之于贾政。贾政听了笑道：“倒是提醒了我，就是这样。”From Jia Zheng a summons arrived for JiaLian while he and Xi-feng were at dinner. He laid down his chopsticks and roseto go, but Xi-feng put a hand out and detained him:‘Not so fast! Listen to me I If it’sanything else, never mind; but if it’s about those little nuns.. ‘—and she wenton to tell him exactly what he should say in that event and to impress on himhow important it was that he should say it. 实时唤贾琏来。当下贾琏正同凤姐吃饭，一闻呼唤，不知何事，放下饭便走。凤姐一把拉住，笑道：“你且站住，听我说话。若是别的事我不管，若是为小和尚们的事，好歹依我这么着。”如此这般教了一套话。Jia Lian smiled and shook his head:‘Sorry, nothing doing! You’ll have to askhim yourself-if you think you know how to!’ 贾琏笑道：“我不知道你有本事你说去。”Xi-feng’s back stiffened, She laid down herchopsticks and looked at Jia Lian. There was a glint in her eye and a dangerouslittle smile on her face when she spoke:‘Do you mean that, or are you joking ?’ 凤姐听了，把头一梗，把筷子一放，腮上似笑不笑的瞅着贾琏道：“你当真的还是玩话？”‘That boy of my cousin’s widow who lives inWest Lane, Jia Yun, has been on at me two or three times about getting him ajob, and I promised to do something for him if he would wait. Now here at lasta job comes along and, as usual, you want to snap it up yourself.’ 贾琏笑道：“西廊下五嫂子的儿子芸儿来求了我两三遭，要个事情管管。我依了，叫他等着。好容易出来这件事，你又夺了去。”‘Don’t worry I’ said Xi-feng consolingly.‘Her Grace has mentioned that she wants a lot of planting done - pines andcypresses - in the north-east section of the garden, and she has also asked formore shrubs and flowers to be planted round the foot of the main hall. Ipromise you that as soon as that job comes up your Jia Yun shall be placed incharge of it.’ 凤姐儿笑道：“你放心。园子东北角子上，娘娘说了，还叫多多的种松柏树，楼底下还叫种些花草。等这件事出来，我管保叫芸儿管这件工程。”‘Oh well, in that case all right,’ said JiaLian. ‘Just one thing, though’—he dropped his voice and smiled at her slily —’Whydid you keep pushing me off like that last night? I only wanted to try a changeof position. A quick flush overspread Xi-feng’s face and she exploded in alittle laugh. Then with a ‘pshaw!’ in his direction, she lowered her head againand went back to her meal. 贾琏道：“果然这样也罢了。只是昨儿晚上，我不过是要改个样儿，你就扭手扭脚的。凤姐儿听了，嗤的一声笑了，向贾琏啐了一口，低下头便吃饭。Jia Lian laughed and slipped away. Onentering Jia Zheng’s presence he found that the subject was, as Xi-feng hadantici¬pated, the arrangements for accommodating the little nuns, and hereplied as Xi-feng had instructed him:‘Jia Qin is a promising young fellow. I think he couldbe entrusted with the job. In any case, he would be drawing the allowance fromAccounts each month when all the other pay¬ments are made, so we should-be ableto keep an eye on him.’ 贾琏已经笑着去了，到了前面见了贾政，果然是小和尚一事。贾琏便依了凤姐的主意，说道：“如今看来，芹儿倒大大的出息了，这件事竟交与他去管办。横竖照在里头的规例，每月叫芹儿支领就是了。”
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