红楼梦291文本已添加

291

Angrily leavinghis uncle’s house behind him, he was on his way back home, eyes fixed on theground as he brooded miserably on his affairs, when he walked head-on intodrunkard. The man seized hold of him with a curse:‘You sodding blind, bumping into me likethat?’ 不言卜家夫妇，且说贾芸赌气离了母舅家门，一径回归旧路。心下正自烦恼，一边想，一边低头只管走，不想一头就碰在一个醉汉身上，把贾芸唬了一跳。听那醉汉骂道：“肏你妈的！瞎了眼睛了，碰起我来了。”The voice was a familiar one. Lookingcloset he saw that it was his neighbour Ni Er, a racketeer who made most of hismoney from high-interest loans supplemented by what he took off other playersin the gambling dens. He drank too much and was always getting into fights. 芸忙要躲，早被那醉汉一把抓住，对面一看，不是别人，却是紧邻倪二。原来这倪二是个泼皮，专放重利债，在赌博场吃闲钱，专爱吃酒打架。At this particular moment he was on his wayback from paying a little ‘call’ on one of his debtors— evidently a lucrativeone, for he was already half-seas-over. He did not take kindly to being bumpedinto, and it would have gone badly with Jia Yun if he had not immediatelyidentified himself:‘Ni, old chap, don’t strike! It’s me! I wasn’t looking where I wasgoing.’ 贾如今正从欠主人家来了利钱，吃醉回来，不想被贾芸碰了一头，正没好气，抡拳就要打。只听那人叫道：“老二住手！是我冲撞了你。”Hearing the voice, Ni Er opened his blearyeyes a little wider, saw that it was Jia Yun, released him - lurching heavilyas he did so—and gave a crapulous laugh:‘Oh,’ he said, ‘young Mist’ Jia. Parm me. Whetra youjus’ come from?’ 倪二听见是熟人的语音，将醉眼睁开看时，见是贾芸，忙把手松了，趔趄着笑道：“原来是贾二爷，我该死，我该死。这会子往那里去？”‘Don’t ask me!’ said Jia Yun bitterly. ‘I’vejust been given the bird!’‘Nemmind!’ said Ni Er. ‘Anyone been bothering you, Mist’ Jia, jus’ tellme and I’ll settle accounts with him for you! You know me. Ni Er. The DrunkenDiamond. Old Dime’ll look after you. Anyone this part of the town troubling neighbourof Dime’s, don’t care who he is, guarantee put him out of business.’ 贾芸道：“告诉不得你，平白的又讨了个没趣儿。”倪二道：“不妨不妨，有什么不平的事，告诉我，我替你出气。这三街六巷，凭他是谁，有人得罪了我醉金刚倪二的街坊，管叫他人离家散！”‘Look, Diamond, if you’ll promise not to getangry, I’ll tell you what happened,’ said Jia Yun, and proceeded to give him anaccount of his interview with Bu Shi- ten. Ni Er was hugely incensed:‘Damn fella! Give the damn fella piece of mymind if he wasn’t a relation of yours. Make my blood boil. Damn fella! Nemmind.Dome be downhearted. Got a few taels of silver here. If you can use it, helpyourself! Good neighbour of Dime’s. Here y’are. Interest-free loan.’ 贾芸道：“老二，你且别气，听我告诉你这缘故。”说着，便把卜世仁一段事告诉了倪二。倪二听了大怒道：“要不是令舅，我便骂不出好话来，真真气死我倪二。也罢，你也不用愁烦，我这里现有几两银子，你若用什么，只管拿去买办。但只一件，你我作了这些年的街坊，我在外头有名放帐的，你却从没有和我张过口。也不知你厌恶我是个泼皮，怕低了你的身分；也不知是你怕我难缠，利钱重。若说怕利钱重，这银子我是不要利钱的，也不用写文约；若说怕低了你的身分，我就不敢借给你了，各自走开。”一面说，一面果然从搭包里掏出一卷银子来。