The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 20 of 25

The Last Wish

最后的心愿

Sijiu races home through the snow with Yingtai's answer. Shanbo reads it and smiles at last, and then he asks for one more thing.

Read what you hear

Narrator 冬天到了，会稽下了今年的第一场雪。雪地里，四九跑回了梁家。
Dōngtiān dào le, Kuàijī xià le jīnnián de dì yī cháng xuě. Xuědì lǐ, Sìjiǔ pǎo huí le Liáng jiā.
Winter came, and the first snow of the year fell on Kuaiji. Through the snow, Sijiu came running back to the Liang home.
Sijiu 公子，公子，我回来了！祝小姐的信，我带回来了！
Gōngzǐ, gōngzǐ, wǒ huílái le! Zhù xiǎojie de xìn, wǒ dài huílái le!
Young master, young master, I'm back! I've brought Miss Zhu's letter!
Liang's Mother 四九，你终于回来了！外面这么大的雪，快进来！
Sìjiǔ, nǐ zhōngyú huílái le! Wàimiàn zhème dà de xuě, kuài jìnlái!
Sijiu, you're back at last! In all this snow! Come in, quick!

Chapter 20 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of The Butterfly Lovers (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.

Liang Shanbo 四九，是英台的信吗？快，快给我看看！
Sìjiǔ, shì Yīngtái de xìn ma? Kuài, kuài gěi wǒ kànkan!
Sijiu, is it a letter from Yingtai? Quick, let me see it!
Sijiu 祝家的大门不让我进，是银心带我从后门进去的。
Zhù jiā de dàmén bú ràng wǒ jìn, shì Yínxīn dài wǒ cóng hòumén jìnqù de.
They wouldn't let me in at the Zhu family's front gate. Yinxin took me in through the back.
Sijiu 公子，你看，这就是祝小姐开的药方。她是一边哭，一边写的。
Gōngzǐ, nǐ kàn, zhè jiù shì Zhù xiǎojie kāi de yàofāng. Tā shì yìbiān kū, yìbiān xiě de.
Look, young master: this is the prescription Miss Zhu wrote for you. She was crying the whole time she wrote it.
Narrator 梁山伯慢慢看完了信。他看了很久，一句话也没说。
Liáng Shānbó mànmàn kàn wán le xìn. Tā kàn le hěn jiǔ, yí jù huà yě méi shuō.
Liang Shanbo slowly read the letter to the end. For a long time he looked at it without a word.
Liang's Mother 山伯？孩子，她在信里说了什么？
Shānbó? Háizi, tā zài xìn lǐ shuō le shénme?
Shanbo? My child, what does she say in her letter?
Liang Shanbo 她说，活着不能在一起，死了也要在一起。
Tā shuō, huózhe bù néng zài yìqǐ, sǐ le yě yào zài yìqǐ.
She says... if we can't be together in life, we'll be together in death.
Liang's Mother 山伯，你笑了？你已经好多天没有笑了……
Shānbó, nǐ xiào le? Nǐ yǐjīng hǎoduō tiān méiyǒu xiào le…
Shanbo, you're smiling? You haven't smiled in so many days...
Liang Shanbo 妈，您别难过。我现在心里，一点儿也不难过了。
Mā, nín bié nánguò. Wǒ xiànzài xīn lǐ, yìdiǎnr yě bù nánguò le.
Mother, don't be sad. Deep down, I'm not sad at all anymore.
Sijiu 公子，祝小姐让我告诉你，她会一直等你，活着等，死了也等。
Gōngzǐ, Zhù xiǎojie ràng wǒ gàosu nǐ, tā huì yìzhí děng nǐ, huózhe děng, sǐ le yě děng.
Young master, Miss Zhu told me to tell you she'll wait for you always, alive or dead.
Sijiu 她还说，那个书呆子，一定要吃饭！
Tā hái shuō, nàge shūdāizi, yídìng yào chīfàn!
And she said that bookworm has to eat!
Liang Shanbo 哈哈，书呆子！她说得对，我真是一个大书呆子。
Hāhā, shūdāizi! Tā shuō de duì, wǒ zhēn shì yí gè dà shūdāizi.
Ha ha, bookworm! She's right. I really am a great big bookworm.
Liang Shanbo 三年，她天天在我身边，我一点儿也没看出来。
Sān nián, tā tiāntiān zài wǒ shēnbiān, wǒ yìdiǎnr yě méi kàn chūlái.
For three years she was by my side every day, and I never saw it.
Liang's Mother 孩子，别想了。你吃一点儿东西，病就会好的。
Háizi, bié xiǎng le. Nǐ chī yìdiǎnr dōngxi, bìng jiù huì hǎo de.
Don't dwell on it, child. Eat a little something, and you'll get better.
Liang Shanbo 妈，我自己知道，我的病不会好了。
Mā, wǒ zìjǐ zhīdào, wǒ de bìng bú huì hǎo le.
Mother, I know I'm not going to get better.
Liang's Mother 别说这样的话！妈舍不得你啊！
Bié shuō zhèyàng de huà! Mā shěbude nǐ a!
Don't say such things! I can't bear to lose you!
Liang Shanbo 妈，我也舍不得您。可是我有一件事，求您答应我。
Mā, wǒ yě shěbude nín. Kěshì wǒ yǒu yí jiàn shì, qiú nín dāying wǒ.
Mother, I can't bear to leave you either. But there's one thing I beg you to promise me.
Liang's Mother 你说吧，孩子。妈什么事都答应你。
Nǐ shuō ba, háizi. Mā shénme shì dōu dāying nǐ.
Tell me, child. I'll promise you anything.
Liang Shanbo 我死了以后，别把我埋在会稽。
Wǒ sǐ le yǐhòu, bié bǎ wǒ mái zài Kuàijī.
When I die, don't bury me here in Kuaiji.
Sijiu 公子，你说什么呢？你会好起来的！
Gōngzǐ, nǐ shuō shénme ne? Nǐ huì hǎo qǐlái de!
Young master, what are you saying? You're going to get better!
Liang Shanbo 从上虞去安乐村的路上，有一个十字路口。马家，就住在安乐村。
Cóng Shàngyú qù Ānlè Cūn de lù shàng, yǒu yí gè shízì lùkǒu. Mǎ jiā, jiù zhù zài Ānlè Cūn.
On the road from Shangyu to Anle Village there's a crossroads. The Ma family lives in Anle Village.
Liang Shanbo 把我埋在那个路口旁边吧。英台嫁到马家那天，一定会走那条路。
Bǎ wǒ mái zài nàge lùkǒu pángbiān ba. Yīngtái jià dào Mǎ jiā nà tiān, yídìng huì zǒu nà tiáo lù.
Bury me beside that crossroads. On the day Yingtai marries into the Ma family, she's sure to take that road.
Liang Shanbo 她从我的墓前面经过，我就能再看她一眼。
Tā cóng wǒ de mù qiánmiàn jīngguò, wǒ jiù néng zài kàn tā yì yǎn.
When she passes my grave, I'll get to see her one more time.
Liang's Mother 我可怜的孩子……好，妈答应你。
Wǒ kělián de háizi… hǎo, mā dāying nǐ.
My poor child... All right. I promise.
Sijiu 公子，我也答应你！我四九说到做到！
Gōngzǐ, wǒ yě dāying nǐ! Wǒ Sìjiǔ shuōdào zuòdào!
Young master, I promise too! I, Sijiu, keep my word!
Liang Shanbo 四九，以后你要帮我照顾好我妈。
Sìjiǔ, yǐhòu nǐ yào bāng wǒ zhàogù hǎo wǒ mā.
Sijiu, from now on, look after my mother for me.
Sijiu 公子，我会的，我一定会的！
Gōngzǐ, wǒ huì de, wǒ yídìng huì de!
Young master, I will. I promise I will!
Liang Shanbo 别哭。这一次，又是什么进了你的眼睛？
Bié kū. Zhè yí cì, yòu shì shénme jìn le nǐ de yǎnjing?
Don't cry. What got in your eyes this time?
Sijiu 是雪，是雪进了我的眼睛，公子……
Shì xuě, shì xuě jìn le wǒ de yǎnjing, gōngzǐ…
Snow. It's snow in my eyes, young master...
Narrator 外面的雪，越下越大了。
Wàimiàn de xuě, yuè xià yuè dà le.
Outside, the snow fell harder and harder.
Liang Shanbo 四九……你告诉英台，我在路边……等她。
Sìjiǔ… nǐ gàosu Yīngtái, wǒ zài lùbiān… děng tā.
Sijiu... tell Yingtai I'll be waiting for her... by the road.

Hear the chapter

What changed in the story?

What is the weather when Sijiu comes back?
“会稽下了今年的第一场雪。”
What surprises Shanbo's mother after he reads the letter?
“山伯，你笑了？”
What does Shanbo tell his mother about his illness?
“妈，我自己知道，我的病不会好了。”
Where does Shanbo ask to be buried?
“去安乐村的路上，有一个十字路口。”……“把我埋在那个路口旁边吧。”
Why does he choose that place?
“英台嫁到马家那天，一定会走那条路。”

All chapters in The Butterfly Lovers.