Some of the petty officials here are evidently short of funds, and various expedients are tried to get money. Those who were not offered the "present" had a good laugh at the better favoured. The lao-ye sent out some jars, supposed to contain wine, by a number of his henchmen and purporting to be a gift to the large shops. His card accompanied the present. Ofcourse the shopmen could not receive a gift from such a great Persouage as the Jarye so the jars went m house to house. It is Chinese custom to present the bearers of gifts with a gratuity. In this case the henchmen: got the fees which were said to have been duly handed to the lao-ye. The point of the joke is that the jars were empty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.