A Chinese Ghost Story: Nie Xiaoqian · chapter 2 of 5
The Gold
金子
A pretty ghost girl fills Ning's table with shining gold, but the honest scholar will not touch a coin, and that night she returns in tears.
Read what you hear
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生，别怕。我叫小倩。我住在后面，一个人，太冷了。
Níng xiānsheng, bié pà. Wǒ jiào Xiǎoqiàn. Wǒ zhù zài hòumian, yí gè rén, tài lěng le.
Mr. Ning, don't be afraid. I'm Xiaoqian. I live out back, all alone, and it's so cold.
- Ning Caichen 小姐，天很晚了。你一个女孩子，怎么在这里？
Xiǎojie, tiān hěn wǎn le. Nǐ yí gè nǚháizi, zěnme zài zhèlǐ?
Miss, it's very late. A young girl like you, why are you here?
- Nie Xiaoqian 先生一个人看书，不觉得累吗？我坐下来，和你说说话，好不好？
Xiānsheng yí gè rén kànshū, bù juéde lèi ma? Wǒ zuò xiàlai, hé nǐ shuōshuo huà, hǎo bù hǎo?
Aren't you tired of reading alone, sir? Let me sit down and chat with you. Would that be all right?
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of A Chinese Ghost Story: Nie Xiaoqian is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- Ning Caichen 对不起，小姐。这么晚了，我们不能在一个房间。请你回去吧。
Duìbuqǐ, xiǎojie. Zhème wǎn le, wǒmen bù néng zài yí gè fángjiān. Qǐng nǐ huíqu ba.
I'm sorry, Miss. It's too late for us to be in one room. Please go back.
- Nie Xiaoqian 先生真有意思。你看，我有一样东西给你。
Xiānsheng zhēn yǒuyìsi. Nǐ kàn, wǒ yǒu yíyàng dōngxi gěi nǐ.
You're very funny, sir. Look, I have something for you.
- Nie Xiaoqian 这是金子，很多很多金子！你拿着，就不用去找工作了。
Zhè shì jīnzi, hěn duō hěn duō jīnzi! Nǐ názhe, jiù bú yòng qù zhǎo gōngzuò le.
This is gold, lots and lots of gold! Take it, and you won't need to look for work.
- Ning Caichen 金子？给我？为什么？
Jīnzi? Gěi wǒ? Wèishénme?
Gold? For me? Why?
- Nie Xiaoqian 你是个好人，我想帮你。拿着吧，我们都开心。
Nǐ shì ge hǎorén, wǒ xiǎng bāng nǐ. Názhe ba, wǒmen dōu kāixīn.
You're a good man, and I want to help you. Take it, and we'll both be happy.
- Ning Caichen 妈妈说过：不是自己的钱，一个也不能要。
Māma shuō guò: bú shì zìjǐ de qián, yí gè yě bù néng yào.
Mother always said: if the money isn't yours, don't take even one coin.
- Ning Caichen 小姐，谢谢你。可是这些金子，我不能拿。
Xiǎojie, xièxie nǐ. Kěshì zhèxiē jīnzi, wǒ bù néng ná.
Miss, thank you. But I can't take this gold.
- Nie Xiaoqian 没有人会知道的。这里只有你和我。
Méiyǒu rén huì zhīdao de. Zhèlǐ zhǐyǒu nǐ hé wǒ.
Nobody will know. It's only you and me here.
- Ning Caichen 可是我会知道。我自己知道，就不行。
Kěshì wǒ huì zhīdao. Wǒ zìjǐ zhīdao, jiù bù xíng.
But I would know. If I know, then it's not all right.
- Nie Xiaoqian 你真奇怪！别的人看到金子，眼睛都亮了！
Nǐ zhēn qíguài! Bié de rén kàndào jīnzi, yǎnjing dōu liàng le!
You're so strange! Other people see gold and their eyes light up!
- Ning Caichen 小姐，你再不走，我就叫燕先生了。他就在旁边。
Xiǎojie, nǐ zài bù zǒu, wǒ jiù jiào Yàn xiānsheng le. Tā jiù zài pángbiān.
Miss, if you don't leave, I'll call Master Yan. He's right next door.
- Nie Xiaoqian 别叫他！我……我走了。
Bié jiào tā! Wǒ… wǒ zǒu le.
Don't call him! I... I'm going.
- Ning Caichen 金子，出去吧！不是我的，我不要！
Jīnzi, chūqu ba! Bú shì wǒ de, wǒ bú yào!
Gold, out you go! It isn't mine and I don't want it!
- Ning Caichen 妈妈，我没有拿。你看，我做对了吧？
Māma, wǒ méiyǒu ná. Nǐ kàn, wǒ zuò duì le ba?
Mother, I didn't take it. See, I did the right thing, didn't I?
- Ning Caichen 燕先生，早！昨天晚上，有一个女孩子来了我的房间！
Yàn xiānsheng, zǎo! Zuótiān wǎnshang, yǒu yí gè nǚháizi lái le wǒ de fángjiān!
Good morning, Master Yan! Last night a girl came into my room!
- Yan Chixia 女孩子？你拿她的东西了吗？
Nǚháizi? Nǐ ná tā de dōngxi le ma?
A girl? Did you take anything from her?
- Ning Caichen 没有。我把金子放到外面了。
Méiyǒu. Wǒ bǎ jīnzi fàngdào wàimian le.
No. I put the gold outside.
- Yan Chixia 哈！鬼给的金子，天亮以后，常常只是一块石头。
Hā! Guǐ gěi de jīnzi, tiānliàng yǐhòu, chángcháng zhǐshì yí kuài shítou.
Ha! Gold from a ghost is often just a stone by morning.
- Ning Caichen 鬼？燕先生，她……真的是鬼？
Guǐ? Yàn xiānsheng, tā… zhēnde shì guǐ?
A ghost? Master Yan, she... was really a ghost?
- Yan Chixia 她不是坏孩子。可是她后面，还有一个更可怕的东西。
Tā bú shì huài háizi. Kěshì tā hòumian, háiyǒu yí gè gèng kěpà de dōngxi.
She isn't a bad child. But behind her there is something much worse.
- Ning Caichen 更可怕的东西？那是什么？
Gèng kěpà de dōngxi? Nà shì shénme?
Something worse? What is it?
- Yan Chixia 现在你不要问。今晚我要出去，你自己小心。
Xiànzài nǐ bú yào wèn. Jīnwǎn wǒ yào chūqu, nǐ zìjǐ xiǎoxīn.
Don't ask yet. I have to go out tonight, so take care of yourself.
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生……对不起。
Níng xiānsheng… duìbuqǐ.
Mr. Ning... I'm sorry.
- Ning Caichen 又是你？小姐，你在哭吗？
Yòu shì nǐ? Xiǎojie, nǐ zài kū ma?
You again? Miss, are you crying?
- Nie Xiaoqian 昨天，我不是真的想给你金子。是有人让我这样做的。
Zuótiān, wǒ bú shì zhēnde xiǎng gěi nǐ jīnzi. Shì yǒu rén ràng wǒ zhèyàng zuò de.
Yesterday, I didn't really want to give you gold. Someone made me do it.
- Ning Caichen 有人？是谁？别怕，慢慢说。
Yǒu rén? Shì shuí? Bié pà, mànman shuō.
Someone? Who? Don't be afraid. Tell me slowly.
- Nie Xiaoqian 我是鬼，已经死了很多年了。
Wǒ shì guǐ, yǐjīng sǐ le hěn duō nián le.
I'm a ghost. I died many years ago.
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生，请你救救我！我不想再骗人了！
Níng xiānsheng, qǐng nǐ jiù jiù wǒ! Wǒ bù xiǎng zài piàn rén le!
Mr. Ning, please save me! I don't want to trick people anymore!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Xiaoqian put on the table?
“这是金子，很多很多金子”
- Why does Ning refuse the gold?
“可是我会知道”
- What makes Xiaoqian leave the room?
“你再不走，我就叫燕先生了”
- What does Yan say about ghost gold?
“鬼给的金子，天亮以后，常常只是一块石头”
- What does Xiaoqian ask for at the end?
“请你救救我”