noon
Chang then told them how he and Chi Fu came to be there . ` When I saw you start , ' he said , ` I at once went into my house and consulted with my son , who said that he and I must certainly follow you . He got two mules at once and we set off early next morning . We rode hard and reached the river well before noon . At the inn near the river we heard about a party which had crossed earlier , and although the inn-keeper said the children were boy and girl , we felt sure that it must have been you . ' Here Chi Fu came up and put in his word . ` Do n't forget to tell the young foreign lady that her letter has been sent off , ' he said .