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uttered by the mother in law, who may call so her son's daughter. 擀麪 kan3 mien4, to stretch out dough to make vermicelli. 擀麪杖 kan3 mien4 chang4, a roller to stretch dough. 一大片 i1 ta4 p'ien4, a large flat piece (of dough); in the text the verb "she stretches out" is wanting. 赛如線 sai4 ju4 hsien4, which may rival, compete with thread as to thinness. 團團轉 t'uan2 t'uan2 chuan4, conglomerated they turn round in the pan. (said of the vermicelli) 蓮花瓣 lien2-hua1-pan4, (as they were) petals of the lotus blossom. 公 kung1 father-in-law, here kung1 is instead of 公公 kung1 kung1. 婆 p'uo2, mother in law, here p'uo2 is instead of 婆婆 p'uo2 p'uo2. 小姑兒 hsiao3 ku1'r, her husband's younger sisters. 案板 an4 pan3, a wood board on which dough is stretched to make vermicelli. 爐坑 lu2 k'eng1 is a pit under the stove where the ashes fall down; an imcommon severe punishment inflicted by mothers-in-law to their daughters-in-law is to let them sleep in the stove-pit. 鋪甚麽 p'u1 she2 mmo, what have you for bedding? 枕甚麽 chen3 she2 mmo, what have you for pillow? Somebody is supposed to ask now from the unfortunate wife about her condition. 棒鍾 pang4 ch'ui2, a beater used in washing clothes; it is generally made of 棗木 tsao3 mu4, date wood. 一落磚 i1 luo4 chuan1, a pile of bricks, that is to say, as many bricks as could form a pile of them. 一溜鞭 i1 liou4 pien1, "a row of whips" rather a strange expression for many whips, lots of whips. ―溜姻 i1 liou4 yen1, as a stream of smoke; the verse is not
