A Chinese Ghost Story: Nie Xiaoqian · chapter 4 of 5
The Small Bag
小袋子
In the dead of night the yaksha comes for Ning, and Yan Chixia's tiny bag holds a bright secret that changes everything.
Read what you hear
- Ning Caichen 燕先生，我们要等多久？
Yàn xiānsheng, wǒmen yào děng duōjiǔ?
Master Yan, how long do we have to wait?
- Yan Chixia 别说话。用耳朵听。
Bié shuōhuà. Yòng ěrduo tīng.
Don't talk. Use your ears.
- Ning Caichen 我听到了……外面有什么东西在走。
Wǒ tīngdào le… wàimian yǒu shénme dōngxi zài zǒu.
I hear it... something is walking outside.
Chapter 4 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.
- The Yaksha 书生！我的金子，你为什么不要？开门！
Shūshēng! Wǒ de jīnzi, nǐ wèishénme bú yào? Kāimén!
Scholar! Why didn't you want my gold? Open the door!
- Ning Caichen 燕先生……他好大！他的影子，比门还大！
Yàn xiānsheng… tā hǎo dà! Tā de yǐngzi, bǐ mén hái dà!
Master Yan... he's huge! His shadow is bigger than the door!
- Yan Chixia 别怕。你看窗边的小袋子。
Bié pà. Nǐ kàn chuāngbiān de xiǎo dàizi.
Don't be afraid. Watch the little bag by the window.
- The Yaksha 老头！走开！这不关你的事！
Lǎotou! Zǒukāi! Zhè bù guān nǐ de shì!
Old man! Get out of the way! This is none of your business!
- Yan Chixia 我是燕赤霞。你在这个寺里，做了太多坏事了。
Wǒ shì Yàn Chìxiá. Nǐ zài zhège sì lǐ, zuò le tài duō huài shì le.
I am Yan Chixia. You have done too many bad things in this temple.
- The Yaksha 燕……燕赤霞？
Yàn… Yàn Chìxiá?
Y-Yan Chixia?
- Yan Chixia 出来吧！
Chūlai ba!
Come out!
- Narrator 一道白光，从小袋子里飞了出去。夜叉不见了。
Yídào báiguāng, cóngxiǎo dàizi lǐ fēi le chūqu. Yèchā bú jiàn le.
A streak of white light flew out of the little bag. The yaksha was gone.
- Ning Caichen 他……他不见了？
Tā… tā bú jiàn le?
He... he's gone?
- Yan Chixia 他走了，不会再回来了。
Tā zǒu le, bú huì zài huílai le.
He's gone. He will never come back.
- Ning Caichen 那道光又回到袋子里了！那是你的剑？
Nà dào guāng yòu huídào dàizi lǐ le! Nà shì nǐ de jiàn?
The light went back into the bag! Is that your sword?
- Yan Chixia 对。它很小，可是很快。它跟我很多年了。
Duì. Tā hěn xiǎo, kěshì hěn kuài. Tā gēn wǒ hěn duō nián le.
Yes. It's small, but it's fast. It has been with me for many years.
- Yan Chixia 书生，你的脸，比纸还白。
Shūshēng, nǐ de liǎn, bǐ zhǐ hái bái.
Scholar, your face is whiter than paper.
- Ning Caichen 我的腿在跳，可是我没有让它跳！
Wǒ de tuǐ zài tiào, kěshì wǒ méiyǒu ràng tā tiào!
My legs are jumping, and I never told them to!
- Yan Chixia 哈哈哈！天要亮了。去做你要做的事吧。
Hā hā hā! Tiān yào liàng le. Qù zuò nǐ yào zuò de shì ba.
Ha ha ha! Dawn is coming. Go and do what you have to do.
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生！夜叉走了！我自由了！我真的自由了！
Níng xiānsheng! Yèchā zǒu le! Wǒ zìyóu le! Wǒ zhēnde zìyóu le!
Mr. Ning! The yaksha is gone! I'm free! I'm really free!
- Ning Caichen 太好了，小倩！你说的那棵树，在哪儿？
Tài hǎo le, Xiǎoqiàn! Nǐ shuō de nà kē shù, zài nǎr?
Wonderful, Xiaoqian! Where is that tree you told me about?
- Nie Xiaoqian 就在这儿。树上有一个鸟的家，我的骨头就在树下面。
Jiù zài zhèr. Shù shàng yǒu yí gè niǎo de jiā, wǒ de gǔtou jiù zài shù xiàmiàn.
Right here. There's a bird's nest in the tree, and my bones are under it.
- Ning Caichen 我来挖，你在旁边等我。
Wǒ lái wā, nǐ zài pángbiān děng wǒ.
I'll dig. You wait beside me.
- Narrator 宁采臣用一块干净的白布，把骨头包好了。
Níng Cǎichén yòng yí kuài gānjìng de bái bù, bǎ gǔtou bāo hǎo le.
Ning Caichen wrapped the bones carefully in a clean white cloth.
- Ning Caichen 金华的工作，我以后再去找。先带你回家。
Jīnhuá de gōngzuò, wǒ yǐhòu zài qù zhǎo. Xiān dài nǐ huíjiā.
I'll look for the job in Jinhua later. First I'm taking you home.
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生，你为了我，不去找工作了？
Níng xiānsheng, nǐ wèile wǒ, bú qù zhǎo gōngzuò le?
Mr. Ning, you're putting off your job for me?
- Ning Caichen 妈妈说，帮人的事，比工作大。
Māma shuō, bāng rén de shì, bǐ gōngzuò dà.
Mother says helping someone matters more than a job.
- Yan Chixia 书生，这个小袋子，你带回家。
Shūshēng, zhège xiǎo dàizi, nǐ dài huíjiā.
Scholar, take this little bag home with you.
- Ning Caichen 这是你的剑！我不能拿！
Zhè shì nǐ de jiàn! Wǒ bù néng ná!
That's your sword! I can't take it!
- Yan Chixia 夜叉不在了，我现在不用它了。你带着它，路上就安全了。
Yèchā bú zài le, wǒ xiànzài bú yòng tā le. Nǐ dàizhe tā, lùshang jiù ānquán le.
The yaksha is gone, and I don't need it now. Take it with you, and the road will be safe.
- Ning Caichen 谢谢你，燕先生！下次我请你吃饭！
Xièxie nǐ, Yàn xiānsheng! Xiàcì wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn!
Thank you, Master Yan! Next time, I'll treat you to a meal!
- Yan Chixia 好！下次，我不说不吃。再见，书生。
Hǎo! Xiàcì, wǒ bù shuō bù chī. Zàijiàn, shūshēng.
Good! Next time, I won't say I'm not eating. Goodbye, scholar.
- Nie Xiaoqian 宁先生……你的妈妈会喜欢我吗？她会不会怕我？
Níng xiānsheng… nǐ de māma huì xǐhuan wǒ ma? Tā huì bú huì pà wǒ?
Mr. Ning... will your mother like me? Won't she be afraid of me?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Ning see when the yaksha comes?
“他的影子，比门还大”
- What happens when Yan says "Come out!"?
“一道白光，从小袋子里飞了出去。夜叉不见了”
- What is really in Yan's small bag?
“它很小，可是很快”
- Why does Ning put off the job in Jinhua?
“先带你回家”
- What does Yan give Ning before he leaves?
“这个小袋子，你带回家”