One sentence was scarcely ended when Pao-yue and Tai-yue felt guilty in
their consciences; and by the time they heard all she said, they were
quite flushed from shame. Lady Feng did not, it is true, fathom the gist
of what had been said, but at the sight of the expression betrayed on
the faces of the three cousins, she readily got an inkling of it. "On
this broiling hot day," she inquired laughing also; "who still eats raw
ginger?"

None of the party could make out the import of her insinuation. "There's
no one eating raw ginger," they said.

Lady Feng intentionally then brought her hands to her cheeks, and
rubbing them, she remarked with an air of utter astonishment, "Since
there's no one eating raw ginger, how is it that you are all so fiery in
the face?"

Hearing this, Pao-yue and Tai-yue waxed more uncomfortable than ever. So
much so, that Pao-ch'ai, who meant to continue the conversation, did not
think it nice to say anything more when she saw how utterly abashed
Pao-yue was and how changed his manner. Her only course was therefore to
smile and hold her peace. And as the rest of the inmates had not the
faintest notion of the drift of the remarks exchanged between the four
of them, they consequently followed her lead and put on a smile.

In a short while, however, Pao-ch'ai and lady Feng took their leave.

"You've also tried your strength with them," Tai-yue said to Pao-yue
laughingly. "But they're far worse than I. Is every one as simple in
mind and dull of tongue as I am as to allow people to say whatever they
like."