處女的恐怖 The Maiden's Terror

A Virgin's Fear

，；The courtyard was deep and hushed, still to the utmost degree;，though my footsteps fell upon the fine grass, they could still startle the one lurking in the green thicket—

．．，；a dragonfly. Every time I came before the courtyard, I would either hear the sound of pitch-pot being played, or catch the quivering notes of a four-stringed instrument;，today, even the iron

！wind-chimes' faint tinkling at the window was gone!

；In my heart I thought that at this hour Xiaopo must surely be inside playing Go with someone;，，so I walked softly, without making a sound, and

我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
心: xīn — 1. heart 2. mind 3. intention 4. center 5. core 6. classifier: 顆 (kē), 個 (gè) (HSK 3)
裏: lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
想: xiǎng — 1. to think (about) 2. to think of; to devise 3. to think (that); to believe (that) 4. to desire; to want (to) 5. to miss (feel wistful about the absence of) (HSK 1)
着: zhāo — variant of 著 (zhāo) (HSK 1)
這時: zhè shí — 1. at this time 2. at this moment (HSK 2)
候: hòu — 1. to wait 2. to inquire after 3. to watch 4. season 5. climate 6. (old) period of five days
小: xiǎo — 1. small 2. tiny 3. few 4. young (HSK 1)
坡: pō — 1. slope 2. classifier: 個 (gè) 3. sloping 4. slanted (HSK 6)
必定: bì dìng — to be bound to; to be sure to (HSK 7-9)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
裏: lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
頭: tóu — 1. head 2. hair style 3. the top 4. end 5. beginning or end 6. a stub 7. remnant 8. chief 9. boss 10. side 11. aspect 12. first 13. leading 14. classifier for pigs or livestock 15. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2)
和: Hé — surname He (HSK 1)
人: rén — 1. person; people 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi), 名 (míng) (HSK 1)
下: xià — 1. down 2. downwards 3. below 4. lower 5. later 6. next (week etc) 7. second (of two parts) 8. to decline 9. to go down 10. to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc) 11. measure word to show the frequency of an action (HSK 1)
圍棋: wéi qí — the game of Go
於是: yú shì — thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence (HSK 4)
輕輕: qīng qīng — lightly; softly
走: zǒu — 1. to walk 2. to go 3. to run 4. to move (of vehicle) 5. to visit 6. to leave 7. to go away 8. to die (euph.) 9. from 10. through 11. away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走 (chè zǒu)) 12. to change (shape, form, meaning) (HSK 1)
着: zhāo — variant of 著 (zhāo) (HSK 1)
也: Yě — surname Ye (HSK 1)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
聲張: shēng zhāng — 1. to make public 2. to disclose
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)

．，，？went into the room. To catch my host unawares, I crept up to stand behind him—wouldn't it be great fun to wait until he suddenly noticed me?But as I gently

進入: jìn rù — 1. to enter 2. to join 3. to go into (HSK 2)
屋: wū — 1. (bound form) house 2. (bound form) room (HSK 5)
裏: lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
出乎: chū hū — 1. due to 2. to stem from 3. to go beyond (also fig. beyond reason, expectations etc) 4. to go against (expectations)
主人: zhǔ rén — 1. master 2. host 3. owner 4. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
意: yì — 1. (bound form) idea; thought; meaning; sense 2. (bound form) intention; feeling; inclination; state of mind 3. (bound form) Italy (abbr. for 意大利 (Yì dà lì))
想: xiǎng — 1. to think (about) 2. to think of; to devise 3. to think (that); to believe (that) 4. to desire; to want (to) 5. to miss (feel wistful about the absence of) (HSK 1)
跑: páo — (of an animal) to paw (the ground) (HSK 1)
去: qù — 1. to go 2. to go to (a place) 3. (of a time etc) last 4. just passed 5. to send 6. to remove 7. to get rid of 8. to reduce 9. to be apart from in space or time 10. to die (euphemism) 11. to play (a part) 12. (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth 13. (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker) 14. (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation) (HSK 1)
站: zhàn — 1. station 2. to stand 3. to halt 4. to stop 5. branch of a company or organization 6. website (HSK 1)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
他: tā — 1. (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his 2. (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日 (tā rì) and 他人 (tā rén)) (HSK 1)
後頭: hòu tou — 1. behind 2. the back 3. the rear 4. later 5. afterwards 6. (in) the future (HSK 4)
等: děng — 1. to wait for; to await 2. by the time; when; till 3. and so on; etc.; et al. 4. (bound form) class; rank; grade 5. (bound form) equal to; same as 6. (used to end an enumeration) 7. (literary) (plural suffix attached to a personal pronoun or noun) (HSK 1)
他: tā — 1. (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his 2. (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日 (tā rì) and 他人 (tā rén)) (HSK 1)
驀然: mò rán — 1. suddenly 2. sudden
發覺: fā jué — 1. to become aware 2. to detect 3. to realize 4. to perceive (HSK 5)
豈不: qǐ bù — 1. how couldn't...? 2. wouldn't it...?
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
很: hěn — 1. very; quite 2. (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element) (HSK 1)
有趣: yǒu qù — interesting; fascinating; amusing (HSK 4)
但: dàn — 1. but; yet; however; still 2. merely; only; just (HSK 2)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
輕: qīng — 1. light 2. easy 3. gentle 4. soft 5. reckless 6. unimportant 7. frivolous 8. small in number 9. unstressed 10. neutral 11. to disparage (HSK 2)

，．，lifted the curtain and went in, I did not find Xiaopo at all, but only saw his younger sister lying face-down on the desk, pretending to nap. Now I could even less make a sound, and so from where I had come

．I crept back out again.

，．，I had not gone far when the dragonfly I had startled earlier looked at me with its thousand eyes carved as if of jade-green stone. The moment it saw me coming, it

走: zǒu — 1. to walk 2. to go 3. to run 4. to move (of vehicle) 5. to visit 6. to leave 7. to go away 8. to die (euph.) 9. from 10. through 11. away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走 (chè zǒu)) 12. to change (shape, form, meaning) (HSK 1)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
遠: yuǎn — 1. far 2. distant 3. remote 4. (intensifier in a comparison) by far 5. much (lower etc) (HSK 1)
方才: fāng cái — 1. just now 2. then
被: bèi — 1. quilt 2. to cover (with) 3. (literary) to suffer (a misfortune) 4. used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb) 5. (since c. 2009) (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes (as in 被旅遊[bei4 lu : 3 you2] to "go on a trip") (HSK 3)
驚: jīng — 1. to startle 2. to be frightened 3. to be scared 4. alarm (HSK 7-9)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
蜻蜓: qīng tíng — dragonfly
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
用: yòng — 1. to use; to make use of; to employ 2. (coverb) with; using 3. to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions) 4. usefulness; utility 5. (bound form) expense; outlay 6. (courteous) to eat; to drink 7. (literary) hence; therefore (HSK 1)
那: Nā — surname Na (HSK 1)
碧玉: bì yù — jasper
琢: zhuó — to cut (gems)
成: Chéng — 1. surname Cheng 2. short name for Chengdu 成都 (Chéng dū) (HSK 2)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
千: qiān — thousand (HSK 2)
隻: zhī — classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc (HSK 2)
眼: yǎn — 1. eye (classifier: 隻 (zhī), 雙 (shuāng)) 2. (often used with 一 (yī)) a look; a glance 3. small hole 4. (bound form) salient point 5. classifier for wells, cave-dwellings etc (HSK 2)
瞧: qiáo — 1. to look at 2. to see 3. to see (a doctor) 4. to visit (HSK 5)
着: zhāo — variant of 著 (zhāo) (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
見: jiàn — 1. to see 2. to meet 3. to appear (to be sth) 4. to interview 5. opinion 6. view (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
來: lái — 1. to come 2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) 3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來 (huí lai)) 4. ever since (as in 自古以來 (zì gǔ yǐ lái)) 5. for the past (amount of time) 6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世 (lái shì)) 7. (between two verbs) in order to 8. (after a round number) approximately 9. (used after 得 (dé) to indicate possibility, as in 談得來 (tán de lái), or after 不 (bù) to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來 (chī bu lái)) (HSK 1)
他: tā — 1. (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his 2. (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日 (tā rì) and 他人 (tā rén)) (HSK 1)
又: yòu — 1. (once) again 2. also 3. both... and... 4. and yet 5. (used for emphasis) anyway (HSK 2)

．，．spread its mica-thin wings and flew off with a rustling whir. But what broke the deep stillness was rather the sound of heavy footsteps striding within the room. In my heart I knew

，，，，．that Xiaopo's sister had woken, and seeing there was a guest in the courtyard, was hurrying to withdraw—so I dared not turn to look back, but let her walk safely into the inner quarters.

道: dào — 1. road; path (classifier: 條 (tiáo), 股 (gǔ)) 2. (bound form) way; reason; principle 3. (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization 4. (Daoism) the Way; the Dao 5. to say (introducing a direct quotation, as in a novel) 6. (bound form) to express; to extend (polite words) 7. classifier for long thin things (rivers, cracks, shadows etc), barriers (walls, doors etc), questions (in an exam etc), commands, courses in a meal, steps in a process 8. (old) circuit (administrative division) (HSK 2)
小: xiǎo — 1. small 2. tiny 3. few 4. young (HSK 1)
坡: pō — 1. slope 2. classifier: 個 (gè) 3. sloping 4. slanted (HSK 6)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
妹子: mèi zi — 1. (dialect) younger sister 2. girl
醒: xǐng — 1. to wake up 2. to be awake 3. to become aware 4. to sober up 5. to come to (HSK 4)
了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
看見: kàn jiàn — to see; to catch sight of (HSK 1)
院: yuàn — 1. courtyard 2. institution 3. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2)
裏: lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
有: yǒu — 1. to have; there is 2. (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒu yì) intentional) (HSK 1)
客: kè — 1. customer; visitor; guest 2. classifier for servings or portions (when ordering food)
緊緊: jǐn jǐn — 1. closely 2. tightly (HSK 5)
要: yāo — (bound form) to demand; to coerce (HSK 1)
迴避: huí bì — 1. to shun 2. to avoid (sb) 3. to skirt 4. to evade (an issue) 5. to step back 6. to withdraw 7. to recuse (a judge etc) (HSK 5)
所以: suǒ yǐ — 1. therefore 2. as a result 3. so 4. the reason why (HSK 2)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
敢: gǎn — 1. to dare 2. daring 3. (polite) may I venture (HSK 3)
囘: huí — variant of 回 (huí)
頭: tóu — 1. head 2. hair style 3. the top 4. end 5. beginning or end 6. a stub 7. remnant 8. chief 9. boss 10. side 11. aspect 12. first 13. leading 14. classifier for pigs or livestock 15. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 2)
觀望: guān wàng — 1. to wait and see; to watch from the sidelines 2. to look around; to survey (HSK 7-9)
讓: ràng — 1. to yield 2. to permit 3. to let sb do sth 4. to have sb do sth 5. to make sb (feel sad etc) 6. by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like 被 (bèi)) (HSK 2)
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
安然: ān rán — 1. calmly 2. without qualms 3. free from worry 4. safe and sound
走入: zǒu rù — to walk into
內: nèi — 1. inside 2. inner 3. internal 4. within 5. interior (HSK 3)
衙: Yá — surname Ya

『，，．』，．『'Fourth Master, Fourth Master, our old master invites you to come in and sit.' I recognized this as Yusheng's voice, and turning around I said, 'I've already—

；already gone in;．』the old master isn't in the room.'

『，．』．'The old master will be out shortly—please go into the room and wait a while.' She lifted the curtain and let me in. Sure enough, his sister was no longer

！there!，，『The maid had just reached the inner courtyard when a soft, smiling voice reached my ears, saying, 'Out—

了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
丫頭: yā tou — 1. girl 2. servant girl 3. (used deprecatingly, but sometimes also as a term of endearment) (HSK 7-9)
剛: gāng — 1. (literary) hard; firm; strong 2. exactly; precisely 3. barely; only just 4. just; only a short while ago (HSK 2)
走: zǒu — 1. to walk 2. to go 3. to run 4. to move (of vehicle) 5. to visit 6. to leave 7. to go away 8. to die (euph.) 9. from 10. through 11. away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走 (chè zǒu)) 12. to change (shape, form, meaning) (HSK 1)
到: dào — 1. to reach; to arrive 2. to leave for; to go to 3. to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point) 4. (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point) 5. considerate; thoughtful; thorough (HSK 1)
衙內: yá nèi — 1. child of an official 2. palace bodyguard
院子: yuàn zi — 1. courtyard 2. garden 3. yard 4. patio 5. classifier: 個 (gè) 6. (old) servant (HSK 2)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
光景: guāng jǐng — 1. circumstances 2. scene 3. about 4. probably
便: biàn — 1. plain 2. informal 3. suitable 4. convenient 5. opportune 6. to urinate or defecate 7. equivalent to 就 (jiù): then 8. in that case 9. even if 10. soon afterwards (HSK 6)
有: yǒu — 1. to have; there is 2. (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 (yǒu yì) intentional) (HSK 1)
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
股: gǔ — 1. thigh 2. part of a whole; portion of a sum 3. (finance) stock; share 4. strand of a thread 5. low-level administrative unit, translated as "section" or "department" etc, ranked below 科 (kē) 6. classifier for long winding things like ropes, rivers etc 7. classifier for smoke, smells etc: thread, puff, whiff 8. classifier for bands of people, gangs etc 9. classifier for sudden forceful actions (HSK 6)
柔和: róu hé — 1. gentle 2. soft (HSK 7-9)
而: ér — 1. and 2. as well as 3. and so 4. but (not) 5. yet (not) 6. (indicates causal relation) 7. (indicates change of state) 8. (indicates contrast) (HSK 4)
帶: dài — 1. band 2. belt 3. girdle 4. ribbon 5. tire 6. area 7. zone 8. region 9. classifier: 條 (tiáo) 10. to wear 11. to carry 12. to take along 13. to bear (i.e. to have) 14. to lead 15. to bring 16. to look after 17. to raise (HSK 2)
笑: xiào — 1. to laugh; to smile 2. to laugh at (HSK 1)
的: de — 1. of; ~'s (possessive particle) 2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun) 3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis) 4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 (pí gé de) "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的 (pǎo táng r de) "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 (xīn de) "new one") 5. also pr. (dì) or (di) in poetry and songs (HSK 1)
聲音: shēng yīn — sound; voice (HSK 2)
送: sòng — 1. to send; to deliver; to transmit 2. to give (as a present) 3. to see (sb) off 4. to accompany; to go along with (HSK 1)
到: dào — 1. to reach; to arrive 2. to leave for; to go to 3. to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point) 4. (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point) 5. considerate; thoughtful; thorough (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
耳: ěr — 1. ear 2. handle (archaeology) 3. and that is all (Classical Chinese)
邊: biān — 1. side 2. edge 3. margin 4. border 5. boundary 6. classifier: 個 (gè) 7. simultaneously (HSK 2)
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
外: wài — 1. outside 2. in addition 3. foreign 4. external (HSK 1)

；there's not a single servant in attendance;，，？』it's fortunate it's the Fourth Master from the West Yamen—if it had been a stranger, how would one know how to receive him properly?'

『，，？』．'Whoever comes, whether stranger or acquaintance, is a friend—what is there to fear?' I recognized this as Yusheng answering her young mistress.

來: lái — 1. to come 2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) 3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來 (huí lai)) 4. ever since (as in 自古以來 (zì gǔ yǐ lái)) 5. for the past (amount of time) 6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世 (lái shì)) 7. (between two verbs) in order to 8. (after a round number) approximately 9. (used after 得 (dé) to indicate possibility, as in 談得來 (tán de lái), or after 不 (bù) to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來 (chī bu lái)) (HSK 1)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
無論: wú lùn — 1. no matter what or how 2. regardless of whether... (HSK 4)
生: shēng — 1. to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born 2. to arise; to occur 3. to light (a fire) 4. to live; to be alive 5. life 6. raw; uncooked; unprocessed 7. unfamiliar; strange 8. (bound form) student; person engaged in a field 9. (bound form) male role in traditional opera 10. (bound form) life; lifetime 11. (bound form) means of livelihood 12. (bound form) very; intensely (as in 生疼 (shēng téng)) 13. (bound form) in a forced manner (as in 生拉硬拽 (shēng lā yìng zhuài)) (HSK 2)
熟: shú — 1. ripe; mature 2. thoroughly cooked; done 3. familiar; acquainted 4. experienced; skilled 5. (of sleep etc) deep; profound 6. also pr. (shóu) (HSK 2)
都: Dū — surname Du (HSK 1)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
朋友: péng you — 1. friend 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi) (HSK 1)
又: yòu — 1. (once) again 2. also 3. both... and... 4. and yet 5. (used for emphasis) anyway (HSK 2)
怕: Pà — surname Pa (HSK 2)
什: shén — what
麽: me — variant of 麼 (me)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
認得: rèn de — 1. to recognize 2. to remember sth (or sb) on seeing it 3. to know (HSK 3)
這: zhè — 1. (pronoun) this; these 2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) 3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. (zhèi), esp. in Beijing) (HSK 1)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
玉: yù — jade (HSK 4)
笙: shēng — sheng, a free reed wind instrument with vertical bamboo pipes
囘: huí — variant of 回 (huí)
答: dā — bound form having the same meaning as the free word 答 (dá), used in 答應 (dā ying), 答理 (dā li) etc (HSK 5)
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
小姐: xiǎo jie — 1. young lady 2. miss 3. (slang) prostitute 4. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi) (HSK 1)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
話語: huà yǔ — 1. words 2. speech 3. utterance 4. discourse (HSK 7-9)

『，？』'How could a woman not fear men—daring to receive them all alone?'

『？'And am I not a woman too?，．』If you aren't afraid, then there's nothing to it.'

，，．，Only then did I realize she had never really been asleep—she simply hadn't managed to withdraw in time, and had feigned it. I walked up to the desk and saw a painted

我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
才: cái — 1. ability; talent 2. sb of a certain type 3. a capable individual 4. then and only then 5. just now 6. (before an expression of quantity) only 7. (emphatic, esp. in contrast or correction) really; actually (HSK 2)
知道: zhī dào — 1. to know; to become aware of 2. also pr. (zhī dao) (HSK 1)
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
並不: bìng bù — not at all; by no means
曾: Zēng — surname Zeng (HSK 4)
睡: shuì — 1. to sleep 2. to lie down (HSK 1)
去: qù — 1. to go 2. to go to (a place) 3. (of a time etc) last 4. just passed 5. to send 6. to remove 7. to get rid of 8. to reduce 9. to be apart from in space or time 10. to die (euphemism) 11. to play (a part) 12. (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth 13. (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker) 14. (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation) (HSK 1)
不過: bù guò — 1. only 2. merely 3. no more than 4. but 5. however 6. anyway (to get back to a previous topic) 7. cannot be more (after adjectival) (HSK 2)
迴避: huí bì — 1. to shun 2. to avoid (sb) 3. to skirt 4. to evade (an issue) 5. to step back 6. to withdraw 7. to recuse (a judge etc) (HSK 5)
不及: bù jí — 1. to fall short of 2. not as good as 3. too late
裝成: zhuāng chéng — to pretend
那樣: nà yàng — 1. that kind 2. that sort (HSK 2)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
走近: zǒu jìn — 1. to approach 2. to draw near to (HSK 7-9)
案: àn — 1. (legal) case 2. incident 3. record 4. file 5. table
邊: biān — 1. side 2. edge 3. margin 4. border 5. boundary 6. classifier: 個 (gè) 7. simultaneously (HSK 2)
看見: kàn jiàn — to see; to catch sight of (HSK 1)
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
把: bǎ — 1. to hold; to grasp 2. to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate 3. handlebar 4. classifier: handful, bundle, bunch 5. classifier for things with handles 6. (used to put the object before the verb: 把 (bǎ) + {noun} + {verb}) (HSK 3)
畫: huà — 1. to draw; to paint 2. picture; painting (classifier: 幅 (fú), 張 (zhāng)) 3. to draw (a line) (variant of 劃 (huà)) 4. stroke of a Chinese character (variant of 劃 (huà)) 5. (calligraphy) horizontal stroke (variant of 劃 (huà)) (HSK 2)

．，．round silk fan, not yet finished, lying there. Just as I was about to sit down, Xiaopo came in.

『，．，．』'Old Four, forgive me for not greeting you properly. It was only when my younger sister ran inside that I learned you had come.'

『，．．』，『？』'I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Please forgive my rashness.' I picked up the round fan and asked, 'Did your sister paint this?'

『．．，』'Yes. She was just now painting it here. If there is any flaw in the brushwork, I beg you to point it out.'

『；'To presume to instruct her, I wouldn't dare;，，，．』in any case, this fan is one I picked up, it has no owner, and I intend to take it home with me.' So saying, I waved the

指: zhǐ — 1. finger 2. to point at or to 3. to indicate or refer to 4. to depend on 5. to count on 6. (of hair) to stand on end (HSK 3)
敎: jiào — variant of 教 (jiào)
倒: dǎo — 1. to fall; to collapse; to lie horizontally 2. to fail; to go bankrupt 3. to overthrow 4. to change (trains or buses) 5. to move around 6. to resell at a profit (HSK 2)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
敢: gǎn — 1. to dare 2. daring 3. (polite) may I venture (HSK 3)
總之: zǒng zhī — 1. in a word 2. in short 3. in brief (HSK 4)
這: zhè — 1. (pronoun) this; these 2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) 3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. (zhèi), esp. in Beijing) (HSK 1)
把: bǎ — 1. to hold; to grasp 2. to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate 3. handlebar 4. classifier: handful, bundle, bunch 5. classifier for things with handles 6. (used to put the object before the verb: 把 (bǎ) + {noun} + {verb}) (HSK 3)
扇: shān — 1. to fan 2. to slap sb on the face (HSK 5)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
檢: jiǎn — 1. to check 2. to examine 3. to inspect 4. to exercise restraint
得: dé — 1. to obtain 2. to get 3. to gain 4. to catch (a disease) 5. proper 6. suitable 7. proud 8. contented 9. to allow 10. to permit 11. ready 12. finished (HSK 2)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
沒有: méi yǒu — 1. haven't 2. hasn't 3. doesn't exist 4. to not have 5. to not be (HSK 1)
主: zhǔ — 1. owner 2. master 3. host 4. individual or party concerned 5. God 6. Lord 7. main 8. to indicate or signify 9. trump card (in card games) (HSK 7-9)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
要: yāo — (bound form) to demand; to coerce (HSK 1)
帶: dài — 1. band 2. belt 3. girdle 4. ribbon 5. tire 6. area 7. zone 8. region 9. classifier: 條 (tiáo) 10. to wear 11. to carry 12. to take along 13. to bear (i.e. to have) 14. to lead 15. to bring 16. to look after 17. to raise (HSK 2)
他: tā — 1. (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his 2. (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日 (tā rì) and 他人 (tā rén)) (HSK 1)
囘: huí — variant of 回 (huí)
去: qù — 1. to go 2. to go to (a place) 3. (of a time etc) last 4. just passed 5. to send 6. to remove 7. to get rid of 8. to reduce 9. to be apart from in space or time 10. to die (euphemism) 11. to play (a part) 12. (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth 13. (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker) 14. (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation) (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
搖: Yáo — surname Yao (HSK 4)
着: zhāo — variant of 著 (zhāo) (HSK 1)

．fan about.

『，．．』'This isn't my property, it's none of my affair. I'll call her out so you can settle it with her directly.' Xiaopo said with a laugh, calling toward the curtain

，『，！』on the other side, 'Ninth Sister, Old Four wants to take your fan away!'

；His sister came out from within;——，．：『I hurried forward a few steps—smiling apologetically, I bowed. I said, 'Please forgive my presumption just now—

．』，．，『．』my rudeness.' She said nothing, only kept on smiling. I went on, 'Your brother has promised to give this fan to me.'

，『！Xiaopo cut in quickly, 'No!．』I only said the two of you could settle it directly between yourselves.'

，．She was still smiling, and said nothing.

：『，，．』I said, 'Might Miss Ninth just take up the brush at the desk and finish the painting, so that I may carry it off at once?'

我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
請: qǐng — 1. to ask 2. to invite 3. please (do sth) 4. to treat (to a meal etc) 5. to request (HSK 1)
九: jiǔ — 1. nine 2. 9 (HSK 1)
姑娘: gū niang — 1. girl 2. young woman 3. young lady 4. daughter 5. paternal aunt (old) 6. classifier: 個 (gè) (HSK 3)
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
案: àn — 1. (legal) case 2. incident 3. record 4. file 5. table
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
揮: huī — 1. to wave 2. to brandish 3. to command 4. to conduct 5. to scatter 6. to disperse (HSK 7-9)
把: bǎ — 1. to hold; to grasp 2. to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate 3. handlebar 4. classifier: handful, bundle, bunch 5. classifier for things with handles 6. (used to put the object before the verb: 把 (bǎ) + {noun} + {verb}) (HSK 3)
這: zhè — 1. (pronoun) this; these 2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) 3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. (zhèi), esp. in Beijing) (HSK 1)
畫: huà — 1. to draw; to paint 2. picture; painting (classifier: 幅 (fú), 張 (zhāng)) 3. to draw (a line) (variant of 劃 (huà)) 4. stroke of a Chinese character (variant of 劃 (huà)) 5. (calligraphy) horizontal stroke (variant of 劃 (huà)) (HSK 2)
完成: wán chéng — to complete; to accomplish (HSK 2)
了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
好: hǎo — 1. good 2. appropriate; proper 3. all right! 4. (before a verb) easy to 5. (before a verb) good to 6. (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so 7. (verb complement indicating completion) 8. (of two people) close; on intimate terms 9. (after a personal pronoun) hello (HSK 1)
立刻: lì kè — immediately; at once; right away (HSK 3)
帶走: dài zǒu — to carry; to take away

．，，『，，？』，，『．』，『But she still said nothing. Her brother, growing impatient, urged her on, 'Well, are you going to allow him or not—just say so, what is there to be afraid of?' His sister shot him a glance and said, 'I'm just that afraid, that's all.' Then she said to me, 'This isn't anything finished—

但: dàn — 1. but; yet; however; still 2. merely; only; just (HSK 2)
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
仍: réng — 1. still; yet 2. to remain 3. (literary) frequently; often (HSK 3)
不做聲: bù zuò shēng — 1. keep silent 2. not say a word
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
哥哥: gē ge — 1. older brother 2. classifier: 個 (gè), 位 (wèi) (HSK 1)
不耐煩: bù nài fán — 1. impatient 2. to lose patience (HSK 5)
促: cù — 1. (bound form) of short duration; hasty; rapid 2. (bound form) to hasten; to hurry; to urge 3. (literary) close by; pressed against
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
到底: dào dǐ — 1. finally 2. in the end 3. when all is said and done 4. after all 5. to the end 6. to the last (HSK 3)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
允許: yǔn xǔ — 1. to permit 2. to allow (HSK 6)
人家: rén jiā — 1. household 2. dwelling 3. family 4. sb else's house 5. household business 6. house of woman's husband-to-be 7. classifier: 戶 (hù), 家 (jiā) (HSK 4)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
不: bù — 1. no; not so 2. (bound form) not; un- (HSK 1)
允許: yǔn xǔ — 1. to permit 2. to allow (HSK 6)
儘管: jǐn guǎn — 1. despite 2. although 3. even though 4. in spite of 5. unhesitatingly 6. do not hesitate (to ask, complain etc) 7. (go ahead and do it) without hesitating (HSK 5)
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
害: hài — 1. to do harm to 2. to cause trouble to 3. harm 4. evil 5. calamity (HSK 5)
什: shén — what
麽: me — variant of 麼 (me)
怕: Pà — surname Pa (HSK 2)
妹子: mèi zi — 1. (dialect) younger sister 2. girl
捋: lǚ — 1. to smooth or arrange sth using one's fingers 2. to stroke
了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
他: tā — 1. (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his 2. (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日 (tā rì) and 他人 (tā rén)) (HSK 1)
一眼: yī yǎn — 1. a glance 2. a quick look 3. a glimpse (HSK 7-9)
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
人家: rén jiā — 1. household 2. dwelling 3. family 4. sb else's house 5. household business 6. house of woman's husband-to-be 7. classifier: 戶 (hù), 家 (jiā) (HSK 4)
就是: jiù shì — 1. exactly; precisely 2. only; simply; just 3. (used correlatively with 也 (yě)) even; even if (HSK 3)
這麽: zhè me — variant of 這麼 (zhè me) (HSK 2)
害怕: hài pà — to be afraid; to be scared (HSK 3)
嚜: me — (final particle)
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
對: duì — 1. right; correct 2. towards; at; for 3. concerning; regarding 4. to treat (sb a certain way) 5. to face 6. (bound form) opposite; facing; matching 7. to match together; to adjust 8. to fit; to suit 9. to answer; to reply 10. to add; to pour in (a fluid) 11. to check; to compare 12. classifier: couple; pair (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
這: zhè — 1. (pronoun) this; these 2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) 3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. (zhèi), esp. in Beijing) (HSK 1)
是: shì — 1. to be (followed by substantives only) 2. correct; right; true 3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well 4. (adverb for emphatic assertion) (HSK 1)
不成: bù chéng — 1. won't do 2. unable to 3. (at the end of a rhetorical question) can that be? (HSK 6)
東: Dōng — surname Dong (HSK 1)

，，．』if you really want it, I'll present you with a proper one some other day.'

，『，．，．』I said quickly, 'That's more than enough—I don't want a better one. Since you've already promised, just grant me this one.' And so

我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
速: sù — 1. fast 2. rapid 3. quick 4. velocity
速: sù — 1. fast 2. rapid 3. quick 4. velocity
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)
夠: gòu — 1. enough (sufficient) 2. enough (too much) 3. (coll.) (before adj.) really 4. (coll.) to reach by stretching out (HSK 2)
了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
不要: bù yào — don't!; must not (HSK 2)
更: gēng — 1. to change or replace 2. to experience 3. one of the five two-hour periods into which the night was formerly divided 4. watch (e.g. of a sentry or guard) (HSK 2)
好: hǎo — 1. good 2. appropriate; proper 3. all right! 4. (before a verb) easy to 5. (before a verb) good to 6. (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so 7. (verb complement indicating completion) 8. (of two people) close; on intimate terms 9. (after a personal pronoun) hello (HSK 1)
的: de — 1. of; ~'s (possessive particle) 2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun) 3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis) 4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 (pí gé de) "one made of leather" or 跑堂兒的 (pǎo táng r de) "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 (xīn de) "new one") 5. also pr. (dì) or (di) in poetry and songs (HSK 1)
了: le — 1. (completed action marker) 2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now) 3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause) (HSK 1)
你: nǐ — you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您 (nín)) (HSK 1)
旣: jì — variant of 既 (jì)
然: rán — 1. correct 2. right 3. so 4. thus 5. like this 6. -ly
應許: yīng xǔ — 1. to promise 2. to allow
就: jiù — 1. (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 2. (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after 3. (same as 就是 (jiù shì)) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly 4. only; as little as 5. as much as; as many as 6. to approach; to move towards 7. to undertake; to engage in 8. (often followed by 著 (zhe)) taking advantage of 9. (of food) to go with 10. with regard to; concerning 11. (bound form) to reach; to attain (as in 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)) 12. (pattern: 就 (jiù) ... 也 (yě) ...) even if ... still ... 13. (pattern: 不 (bù) ... 就 (jiù) ...) if not ... then must be ... (HSK 1)
將: jiāng — 1. will 2. shall 3. to use 4. to take 5. to checkmate 6. just a short while ago 7. (introduces object of main verb, used in the same way as 把 (bǎ)) (HSK 5)
這: zhè — 1. (pronoun) this; these 2. (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun) 3. (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. (zhèi), esp. in Beijing) (HSK 1)
一: yī — 1. one 2. single 3. a (article) 4. as soon as 5. entire; whole; all; throughout 6. "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) 7. also pr. (yāo) for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit (HSK 1)
把: bǎ — 1. to hold; to grasp 2. to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate 3. handlebar 4. classifier: handful, bundle, bunch 5. classifier for things with handles 6. (used to put the object before the verb: 把 (bǎ) + {noun} + {verb}) (HSK 3)
賜給: cì gěi — to bestow; to give
我: wǒ — I; me; my (HSK 1)
罷: bà — 1. to stop 2. to cease 3. to dismiss 4. to suspend 5. to quit 6. to finish
於是: yú shì — thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence (HSK 4)

，．．，she sat back down at the desk and, with colors and ink, went on tinting the round fan. We all stood to one side watching her wield the brush. Xiaopo said to his sister with a laugh,

她: tā — she (HSK 1)
仍舊: réng jiù — 1. still (remaining) 2. to remain (the same) 3. yet (HSK 5)
坐: Zuò — surname Zuo (HSK 1)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
案: àn — 1. (legal) case 2. incident 3. record 4. file 5. table
邊: biān — 1. side 2. edge 3. margin 4. border 5. boundary 6. classifier: 個 (gè) 7. simultaneously (HSK 2)
用: yòng — 1. to use; to make use of; to employ 2. (coverb) with; using 3. to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions) 4. usefulness; utility 5. (bound form) expense; outlay 6. (courteous) to eat; to drink 7. (literary) hence; therefore (HSK 1)
丹青: dān qīng — painting
來: lái — 1. to come 2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) 3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來 (huí lai)) 4. ever since (as in 自古以來 (zì gǔ yǐ lái)) 5. for the past (amount of time) 6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世 (lái shì)) 7. (between two verbs) in order to 8. (after a round number) approximately 9. (used after 得 (dé) to indicate possibility, as in 談得來 (tán de lái), or after 不 (bù) to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來 (chī bu lái)) (HSK 1)
染: rǎn — 1. to dye 2. to catch (a disease) 3. to acquire (bad habits etc) 4. to contaminate 5. to add color washes to a painting (HSK 5)
那: Nā — surname Na (HSK 1)
紈扇: wán shàn — round silk fan
我們: wǒ men — we; us; ourselves; our (HSK 1)
都: Dū — surname Du (HSK 1)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
一邊: yī biān — 1. one side 2. either side 3. on the one hand 4. on the other hand 5. doing while (HSK 1)
看: kān — 1. to look after 2. to take care of 3. to watch 4. to guard (HSK 1)
她: tā — she (HSK 1)
運筆: yùn bǐ — 1. to wield the pen 2. to write
小: xiǎo — 1. small 2. tiny 3. few 4. young (HSK 1)
坡: pō — 1. slope 2. classifier: 個 (gè) 3. sloping 4. slanted (HSK 6)
笑: xiào — 1. to laugh; to smile 2. to laugh at (HSK 1)
着: zhāo — variant of 著 (zhāo) (HSK 1)
對: duì — 1. right; correct 2. towards; at; for 3. concerning; regarding 4. to treat (sb a certain way) 5. to face 6. (bound form) opposite; facing; matching 7. to match together; to adjust 8. to fit; to suit 9. to answer; to reply 10. to add; to pour in (a fluid) 11. to check; to compare 12. classifier: couple; pair (HSK 1)
妹子: mèi zi — 1. (dialect) younger sister 2. girl
說: shuì — to persuade (HSK 1)

『．』'Not afraid of people now, are you?'

『．』．，，，；'Of course not.' She smiled at her brother. After that voice had sounded, both the room within and the courtyard without fell into deep silence;before the window

．．there was not even the faint tinkling of the wind-chimes. All that could be heard was the faint sound of the brush stirring water in the washbowl, and the sound of

也: Yě — surname Ye (HSK 1)
沒有: méi yǒu — 1. haven't 2. hasn't 3. doesn't exist 4. to not have 5. to not be (HSK 1)
鐵馬: tiě mǎ — 1. armored horse 2. cavalry 3. metal chimes hanging from eaves 4. steel barricade 5. (Tw) bike
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
輕: qīng — 1. light 2. easy 3. gentle 4. soft 5. reckless 6. unimportant 7. frivolous 8. small in number 9. unstressed 10. neutral 11. to disparage (HSK 2)
撞: zhuàng — 1. to knock against 2. to bump into 3. to run into 4. to meet by accident (HSK 5)
聲: shēng — 1. sound 2. voice 3. tone 4. noise 5. reputation 6. classifier for sounds (HSK 5)
所能: suǒ néng — 1. according to one's capabilities 2. what sb is capable of
聽見: tīng jiàn — to hear (HSK 1)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)
只有: zhǐ yǒu — 1. only have ...; there is only ... 2. (used in combination with 才 (cái)) it is only if ... (that one can ...) (as in 只有通過治療才能痊愈 (zhǐ yǒu tōng guò zhì liáo cái néng quán yù) "the only way to cure it is with therapy") 3. it is only (someone) who ... (as in 只有男性才有此需要 (zhǐ yǒu nán xìng cái yǒu cǐ xū yào) "only men would have such a requirement") 4. (used to express lack of alternatives) can only; have no choice but to (as in 只有屈服 (zhǐ yǒu qū fú) "the only thing you can do is give in") (HSK 3)
畫筆: huà bǐ — painting brush
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
筆: bǐ — 1. writing brush; writing implement (pen, pencil etc) (classifier: 支 (zhī), 枝 (zhī)) 2. brushstroke; stroke (in painting or calligraphy) 3. (bound form) style of writing; literary manner; technique of brushwork 4. (classifier) stroke of a Chinese character 5. (classifier) sum of money; financial transaction; piece of business 6. (literary) to write (with a brush or pen) (HSK 2)
洗: xǐ — 1. to wash; to bathe 2. to develop (photographs) 3. to shuffle (cards etc) 4. to erase (a recording) (HSK 1)
裏: lǐ — variant of 裡 (lǐ) (HSK 1)
撥: bō — 1. to push aside with the hand, foot, a stick etc 2. to dial 3. to allocate 4. to set aside (money) 5. to poke (the fire) 6. to pluck (a string instrument) 7. to turn round 8. classifier: group, batch (HSK 7-9)
水底: shuǐ dǐ — the bottom of a body of water
微: Wēi — 1. surname Wei 2. ancient Chinese state near present-day Chongqing 3. Taiwan pr. (Wéi)
響: xiǎng — 1. echo 2. sound 3. noise 4. to make a sound 5. to sound 6. to ring 7. loud 8. classifier for noises (HSK 2)
和: Hé — surname He (HSK 1)
顏色: yán sè — 1. color 2. countenance 3. appearance 4. facial expression 5. pigment 6. dyestuff (HSK 2)
在: zài — 1. to exist; to be alive 2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at 3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) (HSK 1)
扇: shān — 1. to fan 2. to slap sb on the face (HSK 5)
上: shǎng — used in 上聲 (shǎng shēng) (HSK 1)
底: de — (equivalent to 的 as possessive particle) (HSK 4)

．the colors moving across the fan.

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What it’s about

Entering Xiaopo's unusually silent courtyard, the narrator finds his friend's sister bent over a desk pretending to sleep. He retreats so she can escape an improper private encounter, then overhears her tell the maid that a woman must fear receiving a man alone. The maid replies that she too is female and feels no fear. The supposedly natural terror already appears as a rule divided by class and cultivated respectability.

When Xiaopo arrives, the narrator claims the unfinished painted fan as an ownerless find. Brother and visitor make the sister negotiate directly; she smiles silently, then says she is indeed afraid but promises a better fan later. He insists on this one, and she resumes painting before both men. Once Xiaopo jokes that she is no longer afraid, her quiet “of course” ends the conversation. Only brush, water and pigment can be heard, suggesting that artistic action has made possible the social presence speech rendered dangerous.

When it was written 背景

The title names 恐怖 but the scene contains no physical threat; its subject is the gendered etiquette that makes an unmarried elite woman's encounter with a male visitor reputationally perilous. Yusheng's practical answer exposes the role of rank: a maid must routinely meet people whom her mistress is taught to avoid. The narrator's playful seizure of the fan still pressures the sister, so her eventual ease should not erase the imbalance. Learners should track 怕, 笑 and 沒做聲: repeated silence changes from defensive performance to concentrated brushwork, giving the ending its delicate ambiguity.

Words in this chapter 生词

敎jiào敎jiào — variant of 教 (jiào)
紈扇wán shàn紈扇wán shàn — round silk fan
妹子mèi zi妹子mèi zi — (dialect) younger sister · girl
坡pōHSK 6坡pō — slope · classifier: 個 (gè) · sloping · slanted (HSK 6)
囘huí囘huí — variant of 回 (huí)
交涉jiāo shèHSK 7-9交涉jiāo shè — to negotiate (with) · to have dealings (with) (HSK 7-9)
着zhāoHSK 1着zhāo — a move in chess (Taiwan pr. (zhuó)) · trick; tactic · (dialect) okay; all right · (dialect) to put in; to add (HSK 1)
簾子lián ziHSK 7-9簾子lián zi — curtain (HSK 7-9)
做聲zuò shēng做聲zuò shēng — to speak · to emit sound
應許yīng xǔ應許yīng xǔ — to promise · to allow
聲張shēng zhāng聲張shēng zhāng — to make public · to disclose
太爺tài yé太爺tài yé — (respectful for) one's grandfather · sb's father · older people · the head of the house (used by servants) · a district magistrate