During the Ming Dynasty, there was a young and promising squire named Li Chen in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. At the age of 20, he was successfully admitted to the Jinshi with his talent. Li Chen's appearance is dignified, not only has a handsome appearance, but also is praised for his profound knowledge and talent.
Pan, a beautiful woman like a flower, married Li Chen. Her appearance is enough to make the bright moon lose its luster and close the moon to be ashamed. Since the two got married, they have been in love with each other, and they have become the envy of everyone.
However, Li Chen was always dissatisfied. Although he has such a beautiful wife, he still does not cherish the people in front of him, often looks for flowers and willows, and does some irresponsible things. Because of Pan's gentle personality, he did not interfere too much with her husband's behavior, which further fueled Li Chen's indulgence.
As a jinshi, although Li Chen has a noble identity and status, he is worried that his behavior will tarnish the atmosphere of officialdom and affect his reputation. Therefore, instead of having affairs with other noble ladies, he set his sights on the servants and subordinates of the household.
One day, Li Chen was sitting leisurely in the study, when he suddenly saw the matchmaker step into the house and reported to him: I heard that you are looking for a suitable domestic servant, sir, and I found a wonderful match. They were a young couple, about twenty-three or fourteen years old. The man is honest and steady, the woman is gentle and virtuous, and they are all very diligent and thrifty. They were originally from Fujian, and they came here to escape the war, and now they only hope to find a good family to settle down.
Li Chen didn't respond immediately, just nodded lightly and motioned for the matchmaker to bring them in.
After the husband and wife entered the house, they introduced themselves and said that the man's name was Wang Shi and the woman's name was Jasper. Wang Shi said he was good at writing and drawing, while Jasper showed off her delicate craftsmanship and needlework skills.
Li Chen carefully observed the couple and found that the jasper was delicate and beautiful, and her face looked like a peach blossom, so he couldn't help but feel a little moved. So, he said to the matchmaker: "You take Jasper to show your wife, and let Wang Shi stay here to serve me." ”
When the matchmaker led the new woman Jasper to Pan, Pan explained briefly and asked the matchmaker to arrange a place for Jasper. After eating, Jasper tidied up in her room. At this time, Li Chen came over and asked Yulan, "That new woman, is she sleeping with you tonight?" ”
Clearly, he had something in mind about it. Yulan understood and agreed with a smile: "I will definitely do what the master asks." ”
As night falls, Magnolia tricks Jasper into taking a bath and jokes, "We're going to be husband and wife tonight!" Biyu laughed but didn't answer. After the two teased each other for a while, Yulan reminded, "We have to get up early tomorrow, let's rest early." Biyu was sleepy, and she also urged: "I've been running around for the past few days, and I'm already tired, so I have to rest." Soon Jasper fell into a deep sleep.
At this time, Yulan pretended to go to the toilet and secretly went to the window to call Li Chen. She whispered to Li Chen: "She is already asleep, her clothes have been taken off, you should be lighter when you go in." ”
Li Chen cautiously entered the room, and was about to act, when Biyu woke up from her dream and was about to call for help, Yulan immediately stepped forward to cover her mouth and warned in a low voice: "He is the master, don't make a sound!" Li Chen also hurriedly appeased: "If you obey me, I will give you two taels of silver to use at will, and I will also take care of Wang Shi." ”
Biyu resisted a few times, but she was not Li Chen and Yulan's opponent at all, so she gave up resisting.
When it was over, Jasper cried:I lost my body, how can I have the face to see my wife tomorrow?
Li Chen smiled and assured Biyu, "You can rest assured that I have convinced my wife that she will not interfere in this matter." Then he took a silver ingot out of his pocket, handed it to Jasper, and continued, "Go buy something you like to eat, and we'll take care of you later." ”
Yulan added beside her, "The master is really a good person, and every time he comes to my room, he will give me some silver. I still have seven ingots hidden under my pillow. ”
Jasper took the silver ingot, and her heart was mixed. She thought that she and her husband had fled here, hoping to have a stable life, but who knew that this would happen. This place can't stay any longer. It's all because of the woman Magnolia, who put me in this predicament. I had to find a way to get out of here, so she took advantage of Magnolia's absence and secretly took the two ingots of silver from under her pillow and hid them on her.
After breakfast, Biyu suggested to Pan that she had left a few pieces of clothing at the inn and hoped that she would be accompanied by her husband to retrieve them. Pan immediately agreed and advised them to go through the relevant formalities the next day. Subsequently, Biyu and Wang Shi reported the matter to Li Chen, but Li Chen asked Wang Shi to do it for him, and Biyu insisted on getting the clothes back by herself.
However, when the two were on their way to pick up their clothes, Jasper suddenly expressed her desire to return to her hometown. Wang Shi was puzzled, thinking that the Li family was not thin on them, and they did not have a stable economy at present, and the entanglement to go home had not yet been raised. But Jasper took out three ingots of silver from her body, and calmly said that it was enough for them to travel home.
When Wang Shi asked about Yinzi's **, Jasper flickered, only saying that he took the opportunity to get it when he lived with Yulan. She calculated that the cost of going home was only three or four taels, and the remaining money was enough for them to open a tofu shop, which was better than being a subordinate here.
Wang Shi didn't ask anymore, thinking that since there was enough entanglement, there was no reason to continue to stay. So the two decided to leave in a small boat that night. After paying the boat fare of three taels of silver, they set sail in the direction of Fujian.
Li Chen thought about the young couple in his heart, but the night was silent, he thought that they had chosen to spend the night at the inn, so he fell asleep peacefully. However, they were still nowhere to be found at noon the next day, and Li Chen was suspicious, so he sent his servant Li Si to the inn to investigate. Li Si learned that they had fled the previous night.
He hurried back, only to find that the people on the road were fleeing, as if a catastrophe was coming. It turned out that the army was about to enter the city, and panic spread among the crowd. Li Si's wife told him that Li Chen had been asked by the Taishou to discuss the matter of defending the city. He hurriedly helped to clean up the house. While they were busy, the soldiers had rushed into the city and captured Taishou and Li Chen together.
Pan was almost paralyzed with fright, but she quickly picked herself up and hid some broken gold and beads into a pair of hollowed-out high-soled bow shoes. She and Magnolia enter the front hall, only to be confronted by the intruders. Faced with a slash, Pan narrowly dodged, and the knife slashed deep into the pillars of the court. She fell to her knees and begged for mercy, but the soldiers, seeing her beauty, became greedy.
Pan was desperate when she was taken away, but she still wanted to preserve her innocence. In the camp, she pretended to be obedient and looked for an opportunity to escape. The general's greed gives her the opportunity to carry out her plan. She used her illness as an excuse to procrastinate.
When night fell, she suddenly got up and rushed out while people were unprepared. The soldiers panicked and hurried in pursuit. Pan's wisdom and courage flashed at this moment, and she used ingenious means to shake off her pursuers and run on the road to freedom. Pan was unable to eat, and when asked about her, she confessed that she was terminally ill and could not move after being frightened.
Although the general instructed his subordinates to cook porridge for her, he did not force her further. That night, the general made a request to Pan, but Pan resolutely refused, emphasizing that he was sick and hoped that he could wait for her to recover before discussing marriage. Although rude, the general was also a reasonable person, and he respected Pan's decision and promised to wait until she was well. Since then, Pan has been avoiding the generals on the grounds of illness and secretly looking for an opportunity to escape.
However, less than a month later, the army received an order to evacuate, and Pan had no choice but to follow. The long march aggravated her condition. When the army arrived in Fujian, they received a new order, requiring the general to lead the army to the island to suppress the bandits. In order to accommodate their families and luggage, they temporarily settled in a temple.
After completing the task of suppressing bandits on the island, the general brought back a young woman, who was quite similar to the Pan family. Seeing Pan's haggard appearance due to maphistication, he became disgusted with her.
In the end, when the general leaves Pan and tells her that she is no longer needed, Pan is faced with a new challenge: how can she survive on her own in a strange place. She pondered in her room for a few days, and her life problems became more and more serious, and even basic food became a problem. The monks of the temple found her while cleaning her room and planned to kick her out.
In the ancient temple, an old monk approached the Pan family and asked softly, "Lady, where are you from?" ”
Pan's eyes were full of sadness, and she said: "I am a native of Hangzhou, but unfortunately I was robbed and abandoned here. I was homesick, but I was alone and couldn't return to my homeland. ”
The old monk nodded and sighed: "This place is thousands of miles away from Hangzhou, how can you go back alone?" ”
When Pan heard this, tears rained down. The old monk said again: "However, there is a way, but I am not good at saying it clearly." ”
Pan Shi said eagerly: "I am in a predicament at the moment, and I hope that the master will speak out." ”
The old monk said: "The only way to marry a good man first, solve the needs of life, and then seek a way back home." Otherwise, you will be alone, and your life and death will be uncertain. ”
Pan thought about it again and again and decided to marry first and then find a way to go home. She said, "However, this matter is urgent, where can I find a lover?" ”
After the old monk discussed with the monks, a monk recommended: "Wang Shi of the tofu shop in front of the temple, his wife has passed away for half a year, and he can become the best candidate." ”
The old monk nodded in agreement, and then found Wang Shi: "I have a beautiful woman Pan, who is suffering in the temple, and I am willing to spend time with you." She didn't ask for a dowry, she just wanted a stable life. ”
Wang Shi's face was embarrassed: "I am a poor person, I can't eat enough, can I marry a wife?" ”
The old monk persuaded again: "This woman was plundered by soldiers and now lives in the temple." She is beautiful and does not need a dowry. If you marry her, will it not be a match made in heaven? ”
Wang Shi was silent for a moment, perhaps because he was moved by Pan's beauty, or maybe he wanted to have a companion. He decided to meet Pan. The old monk took him to the place where Pan was. When they met for the first time, their eyes met, and it seemed that they were destined to start a marriage.
They confide in each other about their experiences and homesickness. In the strange ancient temple, they met by fate and told each other their hearts. The seeds of this relationship are quietly born, and no one knows whether the future will be sad or happy. But at least in that moment, they found each other's support and solace.
Pan told the monk that she came from a good family and was in trouble due to misfortune. She politely rejected the monk's suggestion and expressed concern about marriage. Under the persuasion of the monk, she agreed to marry him, but only if she could be sent back to Hangzhou.
When Wang Ren heard about it, he offered to help, but he asked for practical benefits. With the monk's promise, Wang Ren agreed to this family business. That night, the monk brought Pan to the tofu shop, and Wang Ren prepared food and drinks to celebrate with the neighbors.
However, after marriage, Pan refused to do housework for Wang Ren and revealed his background. It turned out that she was a former lady who was abducted by soldiers and eventually abandoned here. She didn't really want to marry Wang Ren, she just hoped to return to Hangzhou. After Wang Ren learned her true identity, he was even more eager to get her.
However, Pan's request to take a bath first and then ** made Wang Ren unable to resist. After the incident, Pan begged Wang Ren to fulfill his promise to send her back to Hangzhou, but Wang Ren suddenly changed his mind and refused to go to Hangzhou again.
Pan questioned him angrily, and Wang Ren explained the reason why he no longer went to Hangzhou: he and his wife had fled to Hangzhou to seek refuge with the squire Li Chen's house, and his wife had stolen Li Chen's six or seven taels of silver, and they fled overnight and never dared to go back.
Pan was shocked when he heard Li Chen's name, and the moment he learned the truth, Pan's heart set off a lot of waves: it turned out that he was Wang Shi. Once, he didn't know me, and our lord stole his wife, and perhaps gave her some silver taels, so they disappeared without a trace, and the lord never mentioned it later.
At this moment, Pan was deeply saddened: My husband took his wife, and now I have to pay for his pain. Alas, this kind of evil thing should not be done well after all, otherwise good and evil will be rewarded.
At this moment, Pan's heart flashed with inspiration, she made up her mind and said, "I see, since this is the case, I don't plan to go back." "My grandfather's surname is Qian, and I am also very familiar with Master Li. Now that I've lost my body to you, ** do you still have the face to go back to see people? I have a plan, I have to make it clear to you.
What's the matter, you say! Wang Shi said.
Pan said seriously: "I was born in a wealthy family, and I must not sell tofu. If I marry you, you must make me a rich man. ”
After hearing this, Wang Shi shook his head with a smile: "It's really a pipe dream!" We make a living by selling tofu, and it's difficult to feed two people, and the money you get from goes to live like a rich man? ”
Pan Shi reached out to Wang Ren for a pair of scissors, cut open the sole of his shoe, and took out an oiled paper bag from it, and when it was opened, there were several thick beads. She said to Wang Shi: "This is what I left behind when I fled, but I didn't expect it to come in handy now." "You take them and come back in exchange for some silver. ”
When Wang Shi saw these beads, he was surprised and delighted. He hurriedly took these beads and exchanged them, and he exchanged them for forty taels of silver. Pan asked him to buy some more groceries and told him, "You can go and call a boat for me again." ”
Wang Shi was a little puzzled: "What do you call the boat for?" Pan explained: "I once had 3,000 taels of silver hidden in the garden of the Qian family in Hangzhou. We will now quietly go back and take it out, and then buy a big house and a few hundred acres of land. If we live a prosperous life by collecting rent and lending money, have we not become rich people? ”
These words made Wang Shi's heart bloom, and he said excitedly: "If this is really the case, you will be my mother in the next life." Let's go! What if it's just a coil on the road? When Pan saw that he had taken the bait, he took out the broken gold from his other shoe and asked him to exchange it for thirty taels of silver.
So the two got on the boat overnight and sailed straight to Hangzhou.
It didn't take long for them to arrive in the city of Hangzhou. Pan was amazed by what she saw, and she found that the city had not changed much. However, Wang Shi proposed to park the boat outside the city, saying, "Mrs. Pan, it may not be convenient for us to enter the city. ”
Pan Shi responded with a smile: "Wang Shi, it is indeed not convenient for us to enter the Qian family's garden, but I have a nurse who lives in the city, and her house is very close to the Qian family's garden, so it will be more convenient for us to ask her for help." Wang Shi followed Pan's advice and let the ship sail to the city.
After the boat docked, Pan Shi Zhengse said to Wang Shi: "Now that you have entered the city, I think you should know what to do next." If you listen to me, it will be only good for you; If you disobey me, I am afraid your life will not be saved. ”
Wang Shi panicked when he heard this: "I came here after a lot of hardships, and I originally expected to become a rich man. Mrs. Pan, how can you say such a thing? ”
Pan Shi took a deep breath and said calmly: "Actually, I am the wife of Li Chen's family. After being kidnapped by the soldiers, I took the opportunity to escape from their clutches by pretending to be sick. When I met you later, after thinking about it, I felt that if I didn't obey you, you would definitely not help me get back here. Therefore, I chose to endure the humiliation and burden, just to be able to return to my husband's side. ”
Wang Shi was dumbfounded when he heard this, and Pan Shi continued: "You have to go and inform the Li family immediately now, and tell them that I was found in Fujian, and I asked you to personally send me back, so as to make up for my previous farewell." Master Li will definitely send someone to pick me up when he finds out, and I will hide everything for you when the time comes. In this way, Master Li will be grateful to you and reward you with a few hundred taels of silver, and you can still become a rich man. Otherwise, I'm now yelling and saying that you forcibly brought me back. When Master Li knows the truth, I'm afraid your life will be gone. ”
These words made Wang Shi terrified, and he quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "Please ask Mrs. for forgiveness!" I listen to you. ”
Pan Shi helped him up and whispered, "The hardships along the way are thanks to you." Don't worry, I won't treat you badly. ”
Wang Shi hurriedly jumped ashore and ran to the Li family. It was Li Si who opened the door, and when he saw Wang Shi, he asked suspiciously: "Isn't this Lao Wang?" Why didn't you say goodbye before? Now it's back! ”
Wang Shi eagerly explained: "I sent my wife back!" Please report it! ”
Li Si frowned: "Nonsense! My wife was killed by soldiers, and now the family is mourning for her! ”
Wang Shi grabbed him: "Li Si! If you don't believe me, come aboard with me! Li Si didn't dare to slack off, and immediately went to inform Li Chen.
It turned out that Li Chen was arrested by the soldiers when he was invited by the Taishou to discuss the defense of the city. After some twists and turns, Li Chen finally returned home safely. However, he found his home in chaos and apparently had been robbed. Even more heart-wrenching was the brutal murder of several women, including his wife. Due to the hot weather in July, the body was decomposed and unrecognizable.
At this time, Magnolia suddenly appeared. She revealed that she had witnessed Pan's murder by a soldier. Li Chen was devastated when he heard this, but he also knew that his family needed someone to take care of him. So, he decided to let Magnolia stay and replace the late Pan. On the same day, Li Chen learned from Li Sikou that Wang Shi had something important to tell him. He hurriedly invited Wang Shi into the house and asked in detail what had happened.
Although Yulan insisted that she had seen Pan killed, Li Chen and Wang Shi rushed to the side of the ship and found Pan sitting in the cabin. The two hugged each other excitedly and cried. After Li Chen took Pan home, the whole family was happy for them. Magnolia also curiously asks why Pan came back from the dead.
Pan explained that the soldier's knife was slashed wide and she was able to escape. Later, she was captured by the soldiers and nearly insulted, but escaped by feigning illness. In the ruined temple, she meets Wang Shi and asks him for help. Wang Shi remembered the old love and escorted her all the way home.
In order to express his gratitude, Li Chen decided to set up a banquet to entertain Wang Shi. However, a few days passed and nothing happened. Wang Shi began to feel bored and decided to express his return to Li Si.
After Pan's knew about it, he didn't come forward directly to keep it. Two days later, she asked Wang Shi to come to the room and suggested that he stay and do some business. Wang Shi hesitated for a moment and then agreed to Pan's proposal. That night, after Li Chen returned, Pan told him that Wang Shi wanted to leave. Li Chen said that he could only give 100 taels of silver as the capital, and asked Wang Shi to wait for the news.
Since then, Wang Shi has stayed in the Li family and started a new life. Pan thought about it again and again, and felt that he was helpless, and it didn't matter how much he gave, so it was better to vacate the empty room and rent him a room and a half. Seeing that Wang Shi is not very old and his wife is dead, it is better to marry Yulan to him.
So he said to him: "I have a maid named Yulan here, who is about the same age as you, I will take you in and treat you as a son-in-law, and Yulan will marry you, and give you a hundred taels of silver as capital." When Li Chen heard that he was going to send Yulan away, he felt very uncomfortable and said, "I'm afraid that Yulan is unwilling." ”
Yulan thought to herself: After my wife died, I was about to be favored, and I didn't want her to come back, so that I would still be a maid. As the saying goes: "It is better to be the head of the chicken than the queen of the ox." In this case, when Pan asked her for advice, Yulan said, "Everything is up to Madame." ”
So Pan chose an auspicious day, married Yulan to Wang Shi, and gave him another hundred taels of silver as a thank-you gift.
In Wang Shi's hands, magnolia is loved like a treasure. Magnolia once asked him why they didn't say goodbye in the first place. Wang Shi replied with a smile that when he chose to take refuge in the Li family, his wife got six taels of silver as a coil, so they left overnight. Magnolia told him that four taels of silver were actually hers.
Wang Shi asked in surprise, who did the other two taels of silver steal? Magnolia replied, ** was stolen, and that was the reward she deserved. Yulan explained that at that time, the master went to steal Wang Shi's wife, but she resolutely refused, let out a shout, and was held down by Wang Shi. After that, the old man defiled her, and in order to compensate her, he gave two taels of silver.
Wang Shi was shocked and said that it was no wonder that she was in a hurry to escape the next day. Perhaps the night's fright scared her, and when she returned home, she fell ill with heartache and died a month later. Magnolia laughed and slapped him, saying that now she was willing to compensate him with her body. Wang Shi said that someone had already paid for him.
Yulan hurriedly denied it, but Wang Shi told her what happened in the tofu shop. After hearing this, Yulan sighed and said, it seems that the old man has lost a lot. Wang Shi reminded her not to talk nonsense, and after Yulan agreed, they decided to return to Fujian. Before leaving, they said goodbye to Li Chen and Pan. Li Chen was not at home, and Pan asked Li Si to pass the word, expressing his approval of their decision, and gave Yulan twenty taels of silver.
On the way back to Fujian, Wang Shi and Yulan started business with Li Chen's capital, and eventually became wealthy rich people. The whole story ends with an ancient adage: don't take the good for the small, don't take the evil for the small! Tell the world to have a good heart and not to do bad things for the sake of a small profit.
Folktales