again...
within that gate in the wall through which he would have pass stood the great house where the woman had been a slave girl since her childhood, the House of Hwang.
he asked his father, "am i never to have a woman." his father had stirred himself, then, and gone to the House of Hwang and asked if there were a slave to spare.
"not a slave too young, and above all, not a pretty one," he had said. Wang Lung had suffered that she must not be pretty. it would be something to have a pretty wife that other men would congratulate him upon having. his father seeing his mutinous face had cried out
"what will we do with a pretty woman? we must have a woman who will tend the house and bear children as she works in the fields, and will a pretty woman do these things? she will be forever thinking about clothes to go with her face! Moreover, who has heard of a pretty slave who was a virgin in a wealthy house? all the young lords have had their fill of her. it is better to be first with an ugly woman than the hundereth with a beauty. do you imagine a pretty woman will think your farmer's hands as pleasing as the soft hands of a rich man's son, and your sunblack face as beautiful as the golden skin of the others who have had her for their pleasure?"
The woman went before the lady and stood with bowed head and hands clasped. "ready."
Wang Lung, hearing her voice for the first time, looked at her back as she stood before him. it was a good enough voice, not loud, not soft, plain and not ill-tempered. the womans hair was neat and smooth and her coat clean. he was with an instant's disappointment that her feet were not bound.
you see she has the strong body and the square cheeks of her kind. she will work well for you in the field and drawing water and all else that you wish. She is not beautiful but that you do not need. only men of leisure have the need for beautiful women to divert them. neither she is clever. but she does well what she is told to do and she has a good temper. so far as i know she is a virgin. take her and use her well. obey him and bear him sons and yet more sons.
thats all i am. convenience, future, the aftermath. i get whats leftover from other girls. i'm only here because you're finished messing around. finished sowing your wild oats..lucky arent you? first class "first wife" for you.
he asked his father, "am i never to have a woman." his father had stirred himself, then, and gone to the House of Hwang and asked if there were a slave to spare.
"not a slave too young, and above all, not a pretty one," he had said. Wang Lung had suffered that she must not be pretty. it would be something to have a pretty wife that other men would congratulate him upon having. his father seeing his mutinous face had cried out
"what will we do with a pretty woman? we must have a woman who will tend the house and bear children as she works in the fields, and will a pretty woman do these things? she will be forever thinking about clothes to go with her face! Moreover, who has heard of a pretty slave who was a virgin in a wealthy house? all the young lords have had their fill of her. it is better to be first with an ugly woman than the hundereth with a beauty. do you imagine a pretty woman will think your farmer's hands as pleasing as the soft hands of a rich man's son, and your sunblack face as beautiful as the golden skin of the others who have had her for their pleasure?"
The woman went before the lady and stood with bowed head and hands clasped. "ready."
Wang Lung, hearing her voice for the first time, looked at her back as she stood before him. it was a good enough voice, not loud, not soft, plain and not ill-tempered. the womans hair was neat and smooth and her coat clean. he was with an instant's disappointment that her feet were not bound.
you see she has the strong body and the square cheeks of her kind. she will work well for you in the field and drawing water and all else that you wish. She is not beautiful but that you do not need. only men of leisure have the need for beautiful women to divert them. neither she is clever. but she does well what she is told to do and she has a good temper. so far as i know she is a virgin. take her and use her well. obey him and bear him sons and yet more sons.
thats all i am. convenience, future, the aftermath. i get whats leftover from other girls. i'm only here because you're finished messing around. finished sowing your wild oats..lucky arent you? first class "first wife" for you.
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