"Our mistress has not touched rice for two days because our master is set on buying a small . . ."
"Woman . . . Amah Wu . . . that little widow . . . ," ran through Ah Q's mind.
"The daughter-in-law of the house will give birth to a baby on the eighth moon . . ."
"WOMAN . . . ," thought Ah Q.
He put down his pipe and stood up.
"The daughter-in-law . . . ," continued Amah Wu garrulously.
"Will you . . . will you . . . ?" suddenly cried Ah Q, advancing quickly and kneeling before her. For a brief second, there was a deadly silence.
"Eye-yah!" screamed Amah Wu, who had been bewildered for some time. Now suddenly she trembled from head to foot, and with a shriek ran away; as she ran, it seemed that shortly she again shrieked tearfully.
Ah Q, kneeling to the blank wall, was also bewildered; and therefore, supporting himself on the empty board bench with both hands, he slowly stood up, realizing that something must have gone amiss. His heart, at the moment, indeed was palpitating after a fashion. Thoroughly frightened, he stuck his pipe into his belt and thought of returning to his rice pounding. There
