hinting

【红楼梦之酒仙】

160.说话间，刘姥姥已吃完了饭，拉了板儿过来，舚唇咂嘴的道谢。

风姐笑道：“且请坐下，听我告诉你：方才你的意思，我已经知道了。

论起亲威来，原该不等上门就有照应才是；但只如今家里事情太多，太太上了年纪，一时想不到是有的。我如今接着管事，这些亲戚们又都不大知道，况且外面看着，虽是烈烈轰轰，不知大有大的难处，说给人也未必信。你既大远的来了，又是头一遭儿和我张个口，怎么叫你空回去呢？可巧昨儿太太给我的丫头们作衣裳的二十两银子还没动呢，你不嫌少，先拿了去用罢。”

注：

1.舚tiàn：用舌头舔。

As Xi-feng was speaking Granny Liu came back from her meal with Pan-er,loud in her thanks.

“Sit down now and listen to me,dear old lady,”said Xi-feng cheerfully."I know what you were hinting at just now.We shouldn't wait for relatives to come to our door before we take care of them.But we've plenty of troublesome business here,and now that Her Ladyship's growing old she sometimes forgets things.Besides,when I took charge recently I didn't really know all our family connections.Then again, although we look prosperous you must realize that a big house-

hold has big difficulties of its own,though few may believe it. But since you've come so far today and this is the first time

you've asked me for help,I can't send you away empty-handed.Luckily Her Ladyship gave me twenty taels of silver yesterday

to make clothes for the maids,and I haven't yet touched it. If you don't think it too little,take that to be going>