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"I didn't really see you come over，" protested Pao-yue. "Cousin Pao-ch'ai it was， who came and sat for a while and then left."
After some reflection， Lin Tai-yue smiled. "Yes，" she observed， "your servant-girls must， I fancy， have been too lazy to budge， grumpy and in a cross-grained mood； this is probable enough."
"This is， I feel sure， the reason，" answered Pao-yue， "so when I go back， I'll find out who it was， call them to task and put things right."
"Those girls of yours；" continued Tai-yue， "should be given a lesson， but properly speaking it isn't for me to mention anything about it. their present insult to me is a mere trifle； but were to-morrow some Miss Pao （precious） or some Miss Pei （jewel） or other to come， and were she to be subjected to insult， won't it be a grave matter？"
While she taunted him， she pressed her lips， and laughed sarcastically.
Pao-yue heard her remarks and felt both disposed to gnash his teeth with rage， and to treat them as a joke； but in the midst of their colloquy， they perceived a waiting-maid approach and invite them to have their meal.
Presently， the whole body of inmates crossed over to the front.
"Miss，" inquired Madame Wang at the sight of Tai-yue， "have you taken any of Dr. Pao's medicines？ Do you feel any better？"
"I simply feel so-so，" replied Lin Tai-yue， "but grandmother Chia recommended me to go on taking Dr. Wang's medicines."
"Mother，" Pao-yue interposed， "you've no idea that cousin Lin's is an internal derangement； it's because she was born with a delicate physique that she can't stand the slightest cold. All she need do is to take a couple of closes of some decoction to dispel the chill； yet it's preferable that she should have medicine in pills."
"the other day，" said Madame Wang， "the doctor mentioned the name of some pills， but I've forgotten what it is."
"I know something about pills，" put in Pao-yue； "he merely told her to take some pills or other called 'ginseng as-a-restorative-of-the-system.'"
"That isn't it，" Madame Wang demurred.
"the 'Eight-precious-wholesome-to-mother' pills，" Pao-yue proceeded， "or the 'Left-angelica' or 'Right-angelica；' if these also aren't the ones， they must be the 'Eight-flavour Rehmannia-glutinosa' pills."
"None of these，" rejoined Madame Wang， "for I remember well that there were the two words chin kang （guardians in Buddhistic temples）。"
"I've never before，" observed Pao-yue， clapping his hands， "heard of the existence of chin kang pills； but in the event of there being any chin kang pills， there must， for a certainty， be such a thing as P'u Sa （Buddha） powder."
At this joke， every one in the whole room burst out laughing. Pao-ch'ai compressed her lips and gave a smile. "It must， I'm inclined to think，" she suggested， "be the 'lord-of-heaven-strengthen-the-heart' pills！"
"Yes， that's the name，" Madame Wang laughed， "why， now， I too have become muddle-headed."
"You're not muddle-headed， mother，" said Pao-yue， "it's the mention of Chin kangs and Buddhas which confused you."
"Stuff and nonsense！" ejaculated Madame Wang. "What you want again is your father to whip you！"
"My father，" Pao-yue laughed， "wouldn't whip me for a thing like this."
"Well， this being their name，" resumed Madame Wang， "you had better tell some one to-morrow to buy you a few."
"All these drugs，" expostulated Pao-yue， "are of no earthly use. Were you， mother， to give me three hundred and sixty taels， I'll concoct a supply of pills for my cousin， which I can certify will make her feel quite herself again before she has finished a single supply."
"What trash！" cried Madame Wang. "What kind of medicine is there so costly！"
"It's a positive fact，" smiled Pao-yue. "This prescription of mine is unlike all others. Besides， the very names of those drugs are quaint， and couldn't be enumerated in a moment； suffice it to mention the placenta of the first child； three hundred and sixty ginseng roots， shaped like human beings and studded with leaves； four fat tortoises； full-grown polygonum multiflorum； the core of the Pachyma cocos， found on the roots of a fir tree of a thousand years old； and other such species of medicines. They're not， I admit， out-of-the-way things； but they are the most excellent among that whole crowd of medicines； and were I to begin to give you a list of them， why， they'd take you all quite aback. The year before last， I at length let Hsueeh P'an have this recipe， after he had made ever so many entreaties during one or two years. When， however， he got the prescription， he had to search for another two or three years and to spend over and above a thousand taels before he succeeded in having it prepared. If you don't believe me， mother， you are at liberty to ask cousin Pao-ch'ai about it."
