Upper element lamp

Thirteenth day

The children were busy lighting the various lanterns they had bought in the busy market. It's already evening. The Hades fly by and by on the patio, and when they see the red and green bunny-lights, and the horse-headlights, being played by such happy children, they will be glad to return to their velvet-covered nests to mark the festival.

I have not seen her since the fourth day I went to her house to pay a New Year's call. I thought it would be nice to see her by looking at the lamp.

Having made up his mind, he could not help bending his head to look at me. Alas!

I went into the inner room, where my mother was sitting sipping tea, and I said, "Mother, I want to change into a robe."

"I told you to wear that new robe, but you didn't want to!" "Mom said.

"How can anyone go out and be mocked in that new gown, which is so unsightly light!"

"Who would laugh at you? It is a new silk robe, and much prettier than the old one you have on, and you have no third one."

"Mom said earnestly.

Still wearing my new robe, I staggered through a few alleyways -- for I dared not go down the street and reached her house. She was standing high on a square stool, carrying a lantern in her hand, tied up in the form of a tall tower, and hanging it in the middle. When she saw me, she jumped down from the bench and said with a smile, "Have you come to see the lamp? Which of my many lamps do you think is the best?"

I roughly will this many lights are looked at again, I think it is very delicate, helpless, designated her hands that a tower type gauze lamp.

"Do you think this one is the best?" She raised the lamp a little.

I said, "Not the most elegant one!"

"It's not a bad one," she said proudly, "but it's not the finest!"

She continued to scan her results with two soft black eyes, and finally looked at me, she seemed to be very proud, so sentimental naive ah!

I asked her which lamp was the most exquisite. She just smiled, her red lips pressed together. Pointing to the lamp in her hand, she said, "Guess what I'm going to call this lamp."

"I cannot guess what elegant name you have given it."

"I call it 'Yulouchun', do you think?"

'she said, with an innocent, happy pride on her face.

"Well, I thought you must have given it an elegant name. After the Lantern Festival, you should give me this lamp. There are no delicate lamps in my house to hang and admire; I can see it just as well if it hangs here."

"Why should I give you this lamp?" "She laughed again.

"If this lamp wasn't meant for me, why did you make it so elaborate?" I said to her with a smile, causing her thin face to fly on a burst of red.

She caught a glimpse of me in such a light leather robe, and said: "Why do you look so bright in this robe? It's better to wear the old one."

I sighed softly to her, she said nothing, still two strands of eyes fixed on me. Oh, I know her look, how I feel!

After a moment's silence, we parted.

Fourteenth day

Around four o 'clock in the afternoon, I took a break to go to her house again. Entering her study, she caught sight of her cousin chatting with her; After a vague salutation, he sat down in silence.

At last his mother called him from the inner room. She turned to me with a look of annoyance: "What a terrible way to force someone to talk to him! How impatient!"

I smiled at her and could not say more. She asked me, "Won't you wear your new robe today?"

I smiled and said, "Follow your orders, don't wear."

Then I have the leisure to browse her lantern - in the middle of more than ten lights but can not find yesterday's "Yu Lou Chun"! I don't think so. I asked her where "Yu Lou Chun" was.

"He would have taken them." She answered me.

"Who will take it off? Is that your cousin? Why did you stand me up?" I asked eagerly.

"I didn't mean to break it, and I tried to keep it for you! But he took them off without my permission, so that I could do nothing with them." She spoke in this broken voice, with a sad quiver.

I felt a little vexed, and the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt. I said to myself, "There is only one..."

Suddenly she stood up and looked at me. "What are you talking about?" 'she asked me eagerly.

Stimulated by my vexed nerves, I said: "I only need one condition: I do not have the advantage of wearing a lynx robe that other men do. A man dressed like me wouldn't even get a lantern."

I said so angrily, she already two eyes full of tears. She wiped her eyes with her handkerchief and, as she drew closer to me, whispered, "Do you think I ever gave you the cold shoulder because of your clothes? You have to forgive me for my position. Do you think I make mother angry about these things? Don't you understand?"

I was sorry that she had hurt her feelings by saying so.

But there is always this part of the annoyance. I to the lantern, to her, do not feel falling some tears. After a long time, she said in a broken voice, "Don't worry about the conditions!"

Seeing that it was getting late, I wanted to go. She invited me to dinner in her home, I will firmly out, went to the instrument door also saw her loudly said: "tomorrow to eat Yuanxiao!"

Alone back from the alley, in front of a piece of lanterns in the floating, the heart does not feel is joy, is melancholy, only think of Li Yishan sad poem, I walked singing: "pearl foil floating lamp alone."

Fifteen days

It hurts me to think about yesterday. After a long pause, I decided to go for a walk.

As soon as I sat down, she asked me why I had not eaten my supper last night.

I said, "Why would I want to sit at your cousin's table? If I had dined here last night, I would have heard him and your mother sneering. It goes without saying that I can't listen to it, and it makes you feel miserable even if you are afraid."

She mused and said slowly, "In fact... You might as well skip dinner."

'What, what did they say last night? I asked her.

"I don't want to tell you. ... Speaking of which I should have told you... Yesterday... Yesterday he told me..." 'she said, fixing her eyes on me.

"What did he say to you?" I asked.

"What do you want him to say?" She thought I had asked her that on purpose, so she was embarrassed to answer me.

Then I understood, and my heart beat fiercely. "What would you say?" I asked urgently.

"I don't have to answer him. If I refuse, it's over." 'she said firmly.

"Really refused?"

"Why should I lie to you! Mother scolded me for it last night, and I'll let her."

"And what if your mother tries to force you?" I asked.

"By them, I always refuse!" "She answered, her eyes fixed on me with a faint laugh line; She moved her body closer to me. Presently she stood up and said to me, "Here, I'll give you something." And with that she walked ahead and out of the study. And I followed her. She led me upstairs to her bedroom, where I had never been before. Before I had explored her exquisite bedroom, she pointed to a light green gauze lamp hanging in the middle and asked me: "You see, I left this most exquisite lamp for you?"

I think that lamp is much more exquisite than "Yulouchun". The children playing with the lanterns painted on all sides are very elegant. I said, "Well, I might as well have this."

She said cheerfully, "What do you think of 'Yu Lou Chun'? This painting is a copy of the painting academy of the Northern Song Dynasty. It took me two days to paint it."

"This is naturally much more delicate than 'Yulouchun'." I said, and took off the lamp. "If I don't take it now, I won't have it tomorrow." I said again.

She smiled and said, "My lamp is hanging in my room. How can he take it off?"

I said, "Can't he ask you for the lamp?"

"I won't have him in my room." 'she said solemnly.

"But why can I come in?" I asked, laughing.

Her cheeks did not feel another blush, and she bent her head but did not speak. So I set the lamp on the table. Go up to her, and whisper beside her: "If what your cousin says to you is changed and I say it, will you refuse?"

She was not surprised to hear me say this, and her face turned suddenly grey. Her affectionate eye glanced at me once more, and suddenly her face was flushed again. She hung her head again, but did not say a word. I asked softly again, "Won't you refuse?"

'she said again, casting her eyes at me and turning away.

After eating Yuanxiao, in a flash, it was late again. I said goodbye to her, and she said, "Be careful not to damage the lamp."

I looked at her with a smile and said, "I would not be sorry if the lamp were all broken, for I have had too much today."

She walked me to the door blushing, and I couldn't remember how to say goodbye. I walked home in the busy street, carrying lanterns painted with green yarn, and went home honorably. On the way, I thought I was already a happy winner.

But, looking down, I caught sight of my old dress and breathed a gentle sigh of relief.