The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 14 of 25
The Ma Family's Proposal
马家提亲
A chatty matchmaker brings an offer from the richest family around, and Master Zhu is quick to answer.
Read what you hear
- The Matchmaker 恭喜恭喜！祝老爷，大喜事来了！
Gōngxǐ gōngxǐ! Zhù lǎoye, dà xǐshì lái le!
Congratulations, congratulations! Master Zhu, wonderful news has come your way!
- Narrator 在祝家的大堂上，媒人一坐下，就一直在说。英台和银心站在门后，偷偷听着。
Zài Zhù jiā de dàtáng shàng, méirén yí zuò xià, jiù yìzhí zài shuō. Yīngtái hé Yínxīn zhàn zài mén hòu, tōutōu tīngzhe.
In the Zhu family's hall, the matchmaker sat down and talked on and on. Behind the door, Yingtai and Yinxin listened in secret.
- The Matchmaker 我是安乐村马家请来的。马家您知道吧？离这儿三十里，是最有钱的一家！
Wǒ shì Ānlè Cūn Mǎ jiā qǐng lái de. Mǎ jiā nín zhīdào ba? Lí zhèr sānshí lǐ, shì zuì yǒu qián de yì jiā!
The Ma family of Anle Village sent me. You know the Mas, don't you? Thirty li from here, and the richest family around!
Chapter 14 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of The Butterfly Lovers are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Master Zhu 安乐村的马家？我当然知道，谁不知道啊！
Ānlè Cūn de Mǎ jiā? Wǒ dāngrán zhīdào, shéi bù zhīdào a!
The Mas of Anle Village? Of course I know them. Who doesn't!
- The Matchmaker 马家的公子，叫马文才。他听说祝小姐又漂亮，又有学问，天天想，夜夜想！
Mǎ jiā de gōngzǐ, jiào Mǎ Wéncái. Tā tīngshuō Zhù xiǎojie yòu piàoliang, yòu yǒu xuéwen, tiāntiān xiǎng, yèyè xiǎng!
The Ma son is called Ma Wencai. He's heard that Miss Zhu is beautiful and learned, and he thinks of her day and night!
- The Matchmaker 我说啊，这样的好小姐，一百个里也找不到一个！
Wǒ shuō a, zhèyàng de hǎo xiǎojie, yìbǎi gè lǐ yě zhǎo bu dào yí gè!
And I say, you won't find a young lady like this in a hundred!
- Yinxin 小姐，不好了！马家要来娶你了！
Xiǎojie, bù hǎo le! Mǎ jiā yào lái qǔ nǐ le!
Miss, this is bad! The Ma family wants to marry you!
- The Matchmaker 马家想娶小姐，这不是天大的好事吗？过了这个村，就没有这个店了！
Mǎ jiā xiǎng qǔ xiǎojie, zhè bú shì tiān dà de hǎoshì ma? Guò le zhège cūn, jiù méiyǒu zhège diàn le!
The Ma family wants to marry the young lady. Isn't that the best news under heaven? A chance like this won't come twice!
- Master Zhu 哈哈哈，马家配得上我们祝家！这门亲事，我答应了！
Hāhāhā, Mǎ jiā pèi de shàng wǒmen Zhù jiā! Zhè mén qīnshì, wǒ dāying le!
Ha ha ha, the Ma family is a worthy match for the Zhus! I accept!
- Zhu Yingtai 爸爸就这么答应了？
Bàba jiù zhème dāying le?
Father said yes, just like that?
- Yinxin 小姐，怎么办啊？
Xiǎojie, zěnme bàn a?
Miss, what do we do?
- The Matchmaker 太好了！马家的聘礼，过些日子就送来，一定是满满的几大车！
Tài hǎo le! Mǎ jiā de pìnlǐ, guò xiē rìzi jiù sòng lái, yídìng shì mǎnmǎn de jǐ dà chē!
Wonderful! The Ma family's betrothal gifts will come before long. Cartloads of them, you'll see!
- The Matchmaker 明年二月有个好日子，就让小姐嫁到马家去！到时候，红红火火，多好看！
Míngnián èryuè yǒu gè hǎo rìzi, jiù ràng xiǎojie jià dào Mǎ jiā qù! Dào shíhou, hónghónghuǒhuǒ, duō hǎokàn!
There's a lucky day in the second month next year. The young lady will marry into the Ma family then! All red and merry, such a sight!
- Master Zhu 英台，快出来，见见客人！
Yīngtái, kuài chūlái, jiànjian kèrén!
Yingtai, come out here and meet our guest!
- Zhu Yingtai 爸爸，我还不想嫁！
Bàba, wǒ hái bù xiǎng jià!
Father, I don't want to marry yet!
- Master Zhu 傻孩子，女孩子长大了，都要嫁。马家这么有钱，你还想要什么？
Shǎ háizi, nǚháizi zhǎngdà le, dōu yào jià. Mǎ jiā zhème yǒu qián, nǐ hái xiǎng yào shénme?
Silly child, every girl marries when she grows up. The Ma family is so rich. What more could you want?
- Zhu Yingtai 我还小，我想在家里，跟爸爸多住几年。
Wǒ hái xiǎo, wǒ xiǎng zài jiā lǐ, gēn bàba duō zhù jǐ nián.
I'm still young. I want to stay home with you a few more years, Father.
- Master Zhu 马家又不远，三十里路，你想回来，就回来嘛！这件事，爸爸说了算！
Mǎ jiā yòu bù yuǎn, sānshí lǐ lù, nǐ xiǎng huílái, jiù huílái ma! Zhè jiàn shì, bàba shuō le suàn!
The Mas aren't far. Thirty li! You can come home whenever you like. In this, your father decides!
- The Matchmaker 天哪，小姐真是个好女儿！到了马家，也一定是个好妻子！
Tiān na, xiǎojie zhēn shì gè hǎo nǚ'ér! Dào le Mǎ jiā, yě yídìng shì gè hǎo qīzi!
Heavens, what a good daughter! She'll make the Ma family a fine wife too!
- Yinxin 小姐，快跟老爷说梁公子的事啊！
Xiǎojie, kuài gēn lǎoye shuō Liáng gōngzǐ de shì a!
Miss, quick, tell the master about Young Master Liang!
- Zhu Yingtai 不行……梁兄还没来提亲，我现在说了，谁会相信？爸爸只会更生气。
Bùxíng… Liáng xiōng hái méi lái tíqīn, wǒ xiànzài shuō le, shéi huì xiāngxìn? Bàba zhǐ huì gèng shēngqì.
I can't... Brother Liang hasn't come to propose yet. If I say it now, who will believe me? Father will only get angrier.
- The Matchmaker 好，好！这门亲事，是我说成的，马家一定会好好谢我，哈哈哈！
Hǎo, hǎo! Zhè mén qīnshì, shì wǒ shuō chéng de, Mǎ jiā yídìng huì hǎohǎo xiè wǒ, hāhāhā!
Good, good! I'm the one who made this match. The Mas will reward me handsomely, ha ha ha!
- Narrator 媒人笑着走了。英台回到自己的屋子，一句话也不说。
Méirén xiàozhe zǒu le. Yīngtái huí dào zìjǐ de wūzi, yí jù huà yě bù shuō.
The matchmaker went off, laughing. Yingtai went back to her room and didn't say a word.
- Yinxin 小姐，别哭了。老爷看见你的眼泪，又要生气了。
Xiǎojie, bié kū le. Lǎoye kànjiàn nǐ de yǎnlèi, yòu yào shēngqì le.
Miss, don't cry. If the master sees your tears, he'll only get angry again.
- Zhu Yingtai 银心，我真怕……聘礼一送来，就来不及了。
Yínxīn, wǒ zhēn pà… pìnlǐ yí sòng lái, jiù láibují le.
Yinxin, I'm so afraid... Once the betrothal gifts arrive, it will be too late.
- Yinxin 梁公子怎么还不来？他要是在这儿就好了！我真为小姐着急！
Liáng gōngzǐ zěnme hái bù lái? Tā yàoshi zài zhèr jiù hǎo le! Wǒ zhēn wèi xiǎojie zháojí!
Why isn't Young Master Liang here yet? If only he were here! I'm so worried for you, Miss!
- Zhu Yingtai 分开才十天，他还在先生那儿读书呢。
Fēnkāi cái shí tiān, tā hái zài xiānsheng nàr dúshū ne.
We parted only ten days ago. He's still studying with the teacher.
- Yinxin 小姐，你别怕。梁公子在路上发誓了，他一定会来的！
Xiǎojie, nǐ bié pà. Liáng gōngzǐ zài lù shàng fāshì le, tā yídìng huì lái de!
Don't be afraid, Miss. Young Master Liang swore it on the road. He'll come!
- Zhu Yingtai 两个月……梁兄，你快来，你快来啊！
Liǎng gè yuè… Liáng xiōng, nǐ kuài lái, nǐ kuài lái a!
Two months... Brother Liang, come quickly. Please, come quickly!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who sent the matchmaker?
“我是安乐村马家请来的”
- What does Master Zhu say to the Ma family's offer?
“这门亲事，我答应了”
- When is the wedding to be?
“明年二月有个好日子”
- Why doesn't Yingtai tell her father about Shanbo?
“梁兄还没来提亲，我现在说了，谁会相信”
- What is Yingtai most afraid of?
“聘礼一送来，就来不及了”