During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Wenda in Jiangnan, who was smart and studious since he was a child, and was admitted to Xiucai at the age of sixteen, and then to Juren. He wanted to be admitted to the Jinshi and serve the country and the people, so he took some coils and a few books and embarked on the journey to the capital to catch the exam.
He enjoyed the scenery along the way, and also met many scholars on the same road, and everyone learned from each other and talked happily. One day, they came to a small town and happened to meet the town's temple fair. Li Wenda saw that the street was bustling, so he wanted to go shopping. He said to his companions, "Go find an inn and stay there, I want to go and see the temple fair." His companions advised him not to wander around, but Li Wenda did not listen and said, "I'm just going to take a look, and it'll be fine." With that, he ran out.
Li Wenda had a great time at the temple fair, he watched all kinds of juggling, opera, lantern riddles and so on. He also bought some knick-knacks and refreshments. By the time he was about to go back to the inn, it was already dark. As he walked down the road, he suddenly heard someone shouting from behind him, "Catch that thief!"Li Wenda looked back and saw a masked man chasing him with a knife. Li Wenda was so frightened that he hurriedly ran for his life.
It turned out that the masked man was a bandit who had just robbed the home of a wealthy man and fled when he was discovered. In the process of escaping, he saw Li Wenda wearing a brocade coat and satin, and holding some gold and silver jewelry and jade in his hands, so he thought that he was a rich boy and wanted to rob him of his belongings. Although Li Wenda ran fast, he was still caught up by the bandits. The bandit swung his knife and slashed at Li Wenda, but Li Wenda couldn't dodge and was slashed in the chest. Li Wenda collapsed in a pool of blood, feeling like he was about to die.
Seeing this, the bandits wanted to take the opportunity to loot Li Wenda's things. However, when he opened Li Wenda's package, he found only a few worn-out books and some simple clothes. It turned out that the brocade clothes and satin Li Wenda was wearing, and the gold, silver, jewelry, and jade objects he was holding were all cheap goods that he bought for fun at the temple fair, and they were of no value. The bandits were furious, feeling that they had caused trouble in vain, so they left Li Wenda alone.
At this time, a Taoist priest happened to pass by, and he saw someone on the street watching a young man who had fallen to the ground, so he walked over curiously to take a look. He recognized Li Wenda at a glance, it turned out that they had met on the road before, and they had a conversation. The Taoist priest saw that Li Wenda was seriously injured, so he wanted to save his life. He said to the onlookers, "I know this scholar, and I will take him to heal, so don't stop me." After speaking, he picked up Li Wenda and walked to his carriage.
The Taoist priest's carriage contained various medicines and instruments, and he cleaned Li Wenda's wounds, stitched them up, administered the medicines, and then wrapped him in a cloth. He saw that although Li Wenda's breathing was weak, there was still a glimmer of life, so he secretly rejoiced. He said to Li Wenda: "Little brother, you have to hold on, I will try my best to save you." After speaking, he drove the carriage to Li Wenda's hometown.
The Taoist priest kept changing dressings, feeding water, and taking care of Li Wenda along the way, and finally arrived at Li Wenda's hometown a month later. He found Li Wenda's door and knocked on the door. The door opened, and out came a middle-aged woman, who was Li Wenda's mother. When she saw the Taoist priest coming in with a man in her arms, she asked, "Who are you?"Who are you holding?The Taoist priest said: "I am a passing Taoist priest, this scholar was saved by me on the road, his name is Li Wenda, he belongs to your family, right?" ”
When Mother Li heard this name, she was stunned. She looked carefully at the person the Taoist priest was holding and found that it was really her son. She said excitedly, "This is really my son!".Put him down!How could he be so badly injured?The Taoist priest put Li Wenda on the bed and said to Li's mother: "Your son was cut by bandits on the way to the capital to catch the exam, and I happened to pass by to save him." He's not out of danger right now, and he needs to take care of his injuries. When Li's mother heard this, she cried and thanked the Taoist priest for saving her son.
At this time, the rest of the Li family also rushed over when they heard the news, and they all looked at Li Wenda lying on the bed in surprise. It turned out that Li Wenda never returned home after going to the capital to catch the exam, nor did he write a letter to his family. The family thought that he had been admitted to the Jinshi and was an official in the capital. I didn't expect him to suffer such a misfortune. Everyone is sad and worried.
The Taoist priest comforted the people of the Li family and said, "Don't be too sad, although your son is seriously injured, there is still a chance of life." As long as you take good care of him and let him rest more and take more supplements, he may be able to recover. I still have some things to do, and I can't stay here for long. I leave you some medicine and a bag of tips, and ask you to give it to your son** according to my instructions. There's a letter in the bag, so please wait until your son wakes up and open it. After speaking, he handed over the medicine and tips to Li's mother, and then said goodbye and left.
According to the instructions of the Taoist priest, the people of the Li family changed the dressing, fed and took care of Li Wenda. They hoped that Li Wenda would wake up every day, but Li Wenda remained unconscious. They didn't dare to open the bag, and wanted to wait until Li Wenda woke up to watch it together. They didn't know what was written in the bag, and they didn't know why the Taoist priest left them such a thing.
Three months have passed like this, and Li Wenda still has no reaction. The people of the Li family are about to lose hope, and they feel that Li Wenda may never wake up. They began to prepare for Li Wenda's funeral and wanted to give him a peaceful funeral. They placed Li Wenda's spirit tablet on the shrine, placed incense candles and offerings, and wept and worshipped. They also invited a monk to chant the scriptures, hoping that Li Wenda would be liberated.
At this moment, Li Wenda suddenly opened his eyes. He saw himself lying on his bed, surrounded by his own relatives and a monk chanting. He felt weak, but he could still speak. He asked, "I ......."What's wrong with me?I'm a**?When the people of the Li family heard Li Wenda's voice, they all ran over in surprise and surrounded him. They said, "You're awake!."You're finally awake!Do you know how worried we are about you?You've been in a coma for three months! ”
After Li Wenda listened to it, he felt like he had a long dream. He recalled that he went to the capital to take the exam, as well as the incident of being cut by bandits, and the Taoist priest who saved him. He asked, "What about the Taoist priest who saved me?"He's in **?The people of the Li family said: "That Taoist priest is a good person, and he brought you back. He left us some medicine and a bag and said let's wait until you wake up before opening it. That's the tip over there. With that, he pointed to a small red bag on the table.
When Li Wenda saw the bag, he picked it up curiously, opened it and looked at it. Inside was a letter and a piece of jade pendant. The letter reads:
Little Brother: You are seeing this letter now, which means that you have woken up. Congratulations on your survival and rebirth.
I am a Taoist priest who walks the rivers and lakes, and my name is Zhang Zhenren. When I met you on the road, you were already dying. I saved your life with my skills, but it also cost you a lot.
You may not know it, but the injuries you have on your body are not ordinary. The knife used by the bandit was a poisoned knife, and the knife was coated with poison. If you don't detoxify in time, you will die without a place to be buried. I used my internal strength to detoxify you, but I was also poisoned. Although I have antidote medicine, it is not enough to completely remove toxins from my body.
I know my days are numbered, but I don't want you to die like this. You are a talented and ambitious scholar, and you deserve a bright future. I want you to live, for yourself and for me.
I brought you back to your hometown and left you some medicine and this tip. These medications allow your wounds to heal and allow your body to recover. There is a jade pendant in this bag, which is my heirloom and my magic weapon. It can bless you with safety and well, and it can also help you improve your knowledge and talents. I give it to you, I hope you can cherish it and don't let down a piece of my heart.
I have one more thing to tell you, and that's the main reason I'm leaving you this letter. You may not believe it, but it's true. Everything you see now is not real. Your family, your relatives and friends, your hometown, are just an illusion. Your true identity is a ghost.
You're actually dead after being slashed by bandits. I used my magic to take your soul away and reborn you with my skills. But this rebirth is not really a rebirth. You've just borrowed my mana to live in an illusory world. Once my mana is depleted, or destroyed, you'll be gone. And everything in this world will disappear with it.
Why am I doing this?Because I want to give you a chance, a chance to say goodbye to the people you love. I know you have someone in your heart, someone you love deeply. Her name is Lin Niangzi, and she is the girl next door that you have known since childhood. She loves you too and she has been waiting for you to come back. She doesn't know you're dead, and she's still praying for you and grieving for you every day.
I want you to see her and say goodbye to her. I want her to know that you're alive and give her peace of mind. I want you to have a good memory and a happy ending.
So I used my mana to create this world for you to meet her. But the world is not stable and not long-lasting. It can crash at any time, it can disappear at any time. So I advise you not to waste your time and get along with her well in this world. Tell her who you really are, tell her how you feel about her, and tell her you're leaving.
I know it's cruel and ruthless. But that's the last thing I can do. I hope you can understand my distress and forgive me for being selfish. I also hope that she can understand my intentions and accept my arrangement.
I have one last word for you: live a wonderful life!
Zhang Zhenren respectfully".
After reading the letter, Li Wenda felt that his heart was about to break. He couldn't believe his eyes, he couldn't believe his ears, he couldn't believe it was all true. He looked up and looked at his family, who were all happy for him and celebrating him. He looked at his spirit card again, which had his name and date of birth written on it. He suddenly felt as if he was an outsider, a bystander, a non-existent person.
He thought of Lin Niangzi, the person he loved the most. He remembered the time they had grown up together, the vows they had promised each other, and the tears they had shed when they parted. He remembered her smile, her gentleness, her beauty. He wanted to know if she was in **, if she remembered him, if she was still waiting for him. He wanted to see her, he wanted to hug her, he wanted to say sorry to her.
He asked, "What about Mrs. Lin?"She's in **?I want to see her. After hearing this, the people of the Li family were a little surprised. They said, "Mrs. Lin?."Do you mean the girl who lives next door?She's married. Don't you know?After Li Wenda listened, he felt that his heart was about to stop beating. He said, "What?".She's married?What are you talking about? ”
The people of the Li family said: "Yes, didn't you go to the capital to catch the exam?"Soon after you left, Mrs. Lin was taken by a wealthy businessman and married him as a concubine. We also advised her not to go, but she said she couldn't wait for you to come back, and she said she had to find a way out for herself. We can't help it, after all, she's a girl, and she can't wait for you all her life. Don't blame her, it's all fate. ”