During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, somewhere in the south of the Yangtze River, there was a family surnamed Li, and this family gave birth to a son and a daughter, the son was named Li Changwen, and the daughter was named Li Huanting. Li Changwen was a smart and capable young man who caught the attention of a wealthy businessman, his name was Wang Gui, and he was the richest and most powerful person here.
Wang Gui has a daughter named Wang Wan, who is also very beautiful, but has an arrogant personality and does not take anyone seriously. Wang Gui wanted Wang Wan to marry Li Changwen in order to improve his status and find a good home for his daughter. He sent someone to Li's house to propose marriage, saying that he was willing to pay a lot of money to hire Li Changwen as his son-in-law.
When the Li family's parents heard the news, they were very happy and felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only to allow their son to marry the daughter of a wealthy family, but also to get Wang Gui's sponsorship, so that their son would have a better chance to be admitted to the Jinshi. They readily agreed to Wang Gui's proposal without asking Li Changwen's opinion. Although Li Changwen didn't like Wang Wan, he didn't want to go against his parents' wishes, so he reluctantly agreed. Li Huanting is also happy for her brother and hopes that he can be happy.
Soon, the marriage of Li Changwen and Wang Wan was decided, and it was scheduled to be held on the eighth day of the next month. In order to show his sincerity, Wang Gui also gave many valuable gifts to the Li family, which made the Li family's parents overjoyed. Li Changwen also received Wang Gui's sponsorship and could go to the capital to participate in the examination. With a gratitude, a helplessness, and an expectation, he embarked on the road to the capital.
After Li Changwen left, Li Huanting began to be busy for her brother's wedding, she had to sew a new dress for her brother herself, and she also had to prepare some dowry. She is busy every day, and her heart is full of anticipation. She thought that when her brother came back, he would definitely see her heart and be gratified.
Li Huanting's beauty and kindness have also attracted the attention of many people, including a young man named Zhang Ming'an, who is a good friend of Li Changwen and a scholar. Zhang Mingan has had a crush on Li Huanting since he was a child, but he has never had the courage to confess. He knew that Li Huanting also had a good impression of him, but he felt that he had no interest and did not deserve Li Huanting. He can only silently care for her, help her, and accompany her. Li Huanting is also grateful for Zhang Ming'an's friendship and treats him like an older brother.
The two of them often go to the river together for walks, chat, and see the scenery. There is a well by the river, and there is a turtle living in the well, which is said to be a spirit animal in ancient times, with a lifespan of thousands of years, and can predict the future and be able to bless and bless it. Li Huanting and Zhang Ming'an are in awe of this turtle, and every time they pass by the well, they pray to it that it will bless their relatives and friends.
In this way, the days passed day by day, and the wedding date of Li Changwen and Wang Wan was getting closer and closer. Li Huanting prepared everything for her brother and just waited for him to come back. She looks forward to her brother's news every day, hoping that he can be admitted to the Jinshi, come back to marry Wang Wan, and become the head of the family. She is also looking forward to her future, and she thinks that when her brother marries his daughter-in-law, she should also get married. She doesn't know who she'll marry, but she believes that the Turtle will bless her and allow her to meet a good person and live a happy life.
Just one day before Li Changwen and Wang Wan's wedding, the Li family finally received news from Li Changwen, but it was not good news. It turned out that when Li Changwen was taking the examination in the capital, because he offended a powerful person, he was plotted, poisoned, and died. This news was like a thunderbolt from the sky, instantly shattering the Li family's dream. The Li family's parents were grief-stricken, and Li Huanting also fainted from crying. They couldn't believe that their son had passed away like this, how could they accept such a blow.
The Li family's parents decided to bring back Li Changwen's body and hold a grand funeral for him to rest in peace. They also thought of Wang Wan, and felt that she was also a poor girl, who was supposed to marry a talented young man, but the day before the wedding, they learned that he was dead. They sent someone to Wang's house to tell them the bad news, hoping that they would understand, and also hoped that Wang Wan could come to see off Li Changwen, which was considered to have completed their marriage contract.
The Wang family's reaction was beyond the Li family's expectations. As soon as Wang Gui heard that Li Changwen was dead, he was furious and scolded Li Changwen for being a useless waste, who couldn't even pass the exam, and was poisoned, and died an unknown death. He said that Li Changwen deliberately deceived his daughter and made his daughter a widow and brought shame on his family. He not only rejected the Li family's request, but also demanded that the Li family compensate him for his losses and return all Wang Wan's dowry.
Wang Wan didn't have a trace of sadness, just laughed at Li Changwen for being a poor scholar who deserved to die, she said that she didn't love Li Changwen at all, but was forced to marry by her father, she said that she had long been in love with another rich son, and she was just waiting to break the marriage contract with Li Changwen and marry him. She also said that she would not go to see off Li Changwen, she was going to attend her wedding, so that Li Changwen would regret it forever underground.
When the envoys of the Li family heard these words, they trembled with anger, they didn't expect the Wang family to be so ruthless and unjust, not only did they not sympathize with the grief of the Li family, but also aggravated their suffering. They felt that the Wang family was a wicked person, unworthy of Li Changwen's love, nor worthy of the Li family's friendship. They left the Wang family angrily and went back to tell the Li family's parents.
When the Li family's parents heard this, they were also angry, they felt that the Wang family was a white-eyed wolf, ungrateful and unreasonable. They decided to cut off relations with the Wang family, no longer pay attention to their unreasonable demands, and no longer regard Wang Wan as a daughter-in-law. They just want to bury Lee Chang-wen so that he can rest in peace.
Li Huanting also heard the shameless words of the Wang family, she was indignant at the evil deeds of the Wang family, and she was also sad about her brother's misfortune. She thought that her brother was originally an ambitious and talented person, but because he met such a wicked person, he lost his life and love. She felt that her brother was too pitiful, and she wanted to do something for him so that he could be comforted. She thought of the turtle by the river, and she wanted to pray to it, hoping that it would bless her brother's soul and also her family. She took a bouquet of flowers, a pot of water, and a pious heart to the well by the river.
She came to the well and saw the turtle swimming leisurely in the well, its shell with intricate patterns, and its eyes with deep wisdom. Li Huanting bowed three times to the turtle and said: "Turtle, you are an ancient spirit animal, you have a thousand years of life, you can predict the future, and you can also bless and bless." I am Li Huanting, I am Li Changwen's sister, and I have come to pray to you that you will bless my brother so that he can rest in peace, and also bless my family, so that they can survive this disaster. With that, she put the flowers by the well, poured clean water into the well, and bowed three more times, tears sliding down her cheeks.
The turtle heard Li Huanting's prayer, and it felt her sadness as well as her kindness. It decided to answer her prayers, and it used its divine power to make its voice heard by Li Huanting.
It said: "Li Huanting, you are a good girl, you are very filial to your brother, you are very concerned about your family, and you are very kind to your friends. Your brother is also a good man, he is talented, virtuous, ambitious, knowledgeable, loving and affectionate. He doesn't deserve to die, he deserves to live, he deserves to be happy. I will bless your brother and give him a second life, and I will bless your family and keep them safe, and I will bless your friends and make them happy. All you have to do is take your brother's new clothes and wait by the river tonight, and you will see a miracle. With that, the turtle sank to the bottom of the well and never reappeared.
Li Huanting heard the voice of the turtle, she couldn't believe her ears, she felt that this was not a dream, a beautiful dream. She thought, will the turtle really bless her brother? Will my brother really be born again? Should she believe the Turtle's words? Should she go to the river and wait? She hesitated for a moment, then decided to believe in the Turtle, she thought, the Turtle is a god, it will not lie to her, it will definitely grant her wish. She went back to the house, took out her brother's new clothes, and snuck out of the house to the river.
The moonlight by the river is bright, the water is clear, and there are dense reeds on the banks of the river, and in the reeds there is the sound of chirping frogs. Li Huanting came to the river, found a secluded place, sat on a large rock, and waited for the miracle of the turtle. She put her brother's new clothes by her side and stroked it, thinking about her brother's appearance, her heart was full of longing.
Just then, she heard footsteps, and someone came out of the reeds and walked towards her. She raised her head and saw a familiar face, and she cried out in surprise: "Zhang Ming'an, is it you?" How did you end up here? ”
Zhang Ming'an is a good friend of Li Changwen and a crush of Li Huanting, he also heard the news of Li Changwen's death, and he also felt sad for Li Changwen and Li Huanting. He wanted to comfort Li Huanting, but he didn't know how to speak, he was afraid that his feelings would make Li Huanting even more sad.
He could only look at Li Huanting from a distance and silently bless her. He also thought of the turtle by the river, and he also wanted to pray to it, hoping that it would bless Li Changwen's soul and Li Huanting's happiness. He took a jade pendant, a note, and a sincere heart to the well by the river.
He came to the well and saw the turtle lying quietly in the well, with a light on its shell and compassion in its eyes. Zhang Ming'an bowed to the turtle three times and said: "Turtle, you are an ancient spirit beast, you have a lifespan of a thousand years, you can predict the future, and you can also bless and bless." I am Zhang Ming'an, I am a friend of Li Changwen, I am Li Huanting's lover, I come to pray to you, I hope you can bless my friend, let him rest in peace, and also bless my lover, so that she can be happy. After saying that, he put the jade pendant on the side of the well, put the note on the jade pendant, and then bowed three more times, and the blood dripped on his fingers.