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child's grief is movingly depicted. The boy likenes himself to a small cabbage which gets yellow and dry in the earth, because nobody takes care of it. The comparison is not poetical for us, but in China there is nothing peculiarly vulgar attached to the word cabbage. 過 kuo4 is here for 過日子 kuo4 jih4-tzŭ, to live, to get on. 三年整 san1 nien2 cheng3, just after three years. 泡湯 p'ao4 t'ang1, to pour the gravy on the rice. 哭哭帝帝 k'u1 k'u1 t'i2 t'i2, weeping and wailing.
TRANSLATION
Like the small cabbage ― which has become yellow and dry on the ground ~ at the age of seven or eight years, I have lost my mother. ― I lived so well near my father ― only I was afraid he would take another wife ― and he has taken her; just after three years ― they have given me a brother who is more worthy than I am ― because he eats the food ― and I only may pour the gravy on my rice ― weeping and wailing I think of my own mother!
XIV
張大嫂
李大嫂
