Six Records of a Floating Life (Chapter three: Ups and downs 09)

    There was with us at this time an old woman who was the one that had let us her country house, as mentioned in the first chapter. She was willing to accompany us to the country, and was now sitting in the room, silently and continually wiping her tears.

    In the small hours of the morning, we warmed up some congee and ate it together. Yun forced herself to smile and joke, saying, "We first met round a bowl of congee and now we are parting also round a bowl of congee. If some one were to write a play about it, it should be entitled ,'The Romance of the Congee.' "

    Fengsen heard these words in his sleep, woke up and asked, while yawning："What is mamma doing?""Mamma is going to see a doctor, "Yun replied.

    "But why so early?”"Because the place is so far away. You stay at home with sister and be a good boy and don't annoy grandmother. I am going away with papa and shall be home within a few days."

    When the cock had crowed three times, Yun, buried in tears and supported by the old woman, was going out by the back door, when Fengsen suddenly wept aloud and cried: "I know mamma is not coming back! ”