The Butterfly Lovers · chapter 23 of 25
The Red Sedan
红花轿
The red sedan sets off for Anle Village with music, four bearers and a chattering matchmaker, but the sky grows darker with every li.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天早上，在音乐声里，红花轿出了祝家的大门。四个人抬着花轿，往安乐村走去。
Nà tiān zǎoshang, zài yīnyuè shēng lǐ, hóng huājiào chū le Zhù jiā de dàmén. Sì gè rén táizhe huājiào, wǎng Ānlè Cūn zǒu qù.
That morning, to the sound of music, the red sedan went out through the Zhu family's front gate. Four men carried it toward Anle Village.
- The Matchmaker 抬好了，走慢点儿！新娘子在里面，别让她不舒服！
Tái hǎo le, zǒu màn diǎnr! Xīnniángzi zài lǐmiàn, bié ràng tā bù shūfu!
Hold it steady, slowly now! The bride's inside, don't jolt her!
- Master Zhu 英台，爸爸是为你好。你不会后悔的……对吧？
Yīngtái, bàba shì wèi nǐ hǎo. Nǐ bú huì hòuhuǐ de… duì ba?
Yingtai, I'm doing this for your own good. You won't regret it... will you?
Chapter 23 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.
- Zhu Yingtai 爸爸，回去吧，外面风大。
Bàba, huíqù ba, wàimiàn fēng dà.
Father, go back inside. It's windy out here.
- Master Zhu 银心，路上好好照顾小姐。到了马家，也要一直跟着她。
Yínxīn, lù shàng hǎohǎo zhàogù xiǎojie. Dào le Mǎ jiā, yě yào yìzhí gēnzhe tā.
Yinxin, take good care of the young lady on the road. And at the Ma house, stay with her always.
- Yinxin 老爷，您放心吧。
Lǎoye, nín fàngxīn ba.
Don't worry, Master.
- Narrator 花轿越走越远。祝老爷站在门口，第一次不知道自己做得对不对。
Huājiào yuè zǒu yuè yuǎn. Zhù lǎoye zhàn zài ménkǒu, dì yī cì bù zhīdào zìjǐ zuò de duì bu duì.
The sedan went farther and farther away. Master Zhu stood at the gate, and for the first time he wasn't sure he had done right.
- The Matchmaker 小姐，你嫁到马家，真有福气！马家的房子比祝家还大，花园比祝家的还漂亮。马公子呢，又年轻，又有钱！
Xiǎojie, nǐ jià dào Mǎ jiā, zhēn yǒu fúqi! Mǎ jiā de fángzi bǐ Zhù jiā hái dà, huāyuán bǐ Zhù jiā de hái piàoliang. Mǎ gōngzǐ ne, yòu niánqīng, yòu yǒu qián!
Miss, marrying into the Ma family, you're so lucky! Their house is even bigger than the Zhu house, and their garden is even prettier. And Young Master Ma is young and rich!
- Yinxin 又年轻又有钱，有什么用……
Yòu niánqīng yòu yǒu qián, yǒu shénme yòng…
Young and rich. What good is that...
- The Matchmaker 小姐？小姐，你怎么一句话也不说？
Xiǎojie? Xiǎojie, nǐ zěnme yí jù huà yě bù shuō?
Miss? Miss, why don't you say a word?
- Yinxin 我家小姐累了。您少说两句吧。
Wǒ jiā xiǎojie lèi le. Nín shǎo shuō liǎng jù ba.
My mistress is tired. Perhaps you could talk a little less.
- The Matchmaker 少说？好日子就要多说好话，才吉利！而且，红包也不能白拿啊。
Shǎo shuō? Hǎo rìzi jiù yào duō shuō hǎohuà, cái jílì! Érqiě, hóngbāo yě bù néng bái ná a.
Talk less? On a happy day you have to say lots of nice things, that's what brings luck! Besides, I can't take a red envelope for nothing.
- Yinxin 我看啊，在你心里，红包比小姐还重要。
Wǒ kàn a, zài nǐ xīn lǐ, hóngbāo bǐ xiǎojie hái zhòngyào.
If you ask me, in your heart the red envelope matters more than Miss does.
- The Matchmaker 天哪，这是什么话！你这个丫鬟，嘴比我还快！小姐重要，红包也重要嘛！
Tiān na, zhè shì shénme huà! Nǐ zhège yāhuan, zuǐ bǐ wǒ hái kuài! Xiǎojie zhòngyào, hóngbāo yě zhòngyào ma!
Heavens, what a thing to say! You little maid, your tongue is even quicker than mine! Miss matters, and the red envelope matters too!
- Zhu Yingtai 银心，到哪儿了？
Yínxīn, dào nǎr le?
Yinxin, where are we?
- Yinxin 已经走了很远了。小姐，前面就是那个十字路口了。
Yǐjīng zǒu le hěn yuǎn le. Xiǎojie, qiánmiàn jiù shì nàge shízì lùkǒu le.
We've come a long way. Miss, that crossroads is just up ahead.
- Zhu Yingtai 梁兄，我来了。你在路边等了我这么久，再等我一会儿，我们马上就能见面了。
Liáng xiōng, wǒ lái le. Nǐ zài lùbiān děng le wǒ zhème jiǔ, zài děng wǒ yíhuìr, wǒmen mǎshàng jiù néng jiànmiàn le.
Brother Liang, I'm coming. You've waited for me by the road so long. Wait just a little longer, and we'll be together soon.
- The Matchmaker 奇怪，刚才还有太阳，天怎么突然黑了？
Qíguài, gāngcái hái yǒu tàiyáng, tiān zěnme tūrán hēi le?
Strange. The sun was out just now. Why has the sky suddenly gone dark?
- Yinxin 你们看，那边来了好多乌云，又黑又低。
Nǐmen kàn, nàbiān lái le hǎoduō wūyún, yòu hēi yòu dī.
Look, so many black clouds are coming in over there, dark and low.
- The Matchmaker 天哪，千万别下雨！好日子下雨，不吉利！快走，快走！到了马家，我的红包分你们……一点点！
Tiān na, qiānwàn bié xià yǔ! Hǎo rìzi xià yǔ, bù jílì! Kuài zǒu, kuài zǒu! Dào le Mǎ jiā, wǒ de hóngbāo fēn nǐmen… yìdiǎndiǎn!
Heavens, it mustn't rain! Rain on a wedding day is bad luck! Hurry, hurry! When we get to the Ma house, I'll share my red envelope with you... a tiny bit!
- Yinxin 打雷了，小姐，您怕吗？
Dǎléi le, xiǎojie, nín pà ma?
Thunder, Miss. Are you afraid?
- Zhu Yingtai 不怕。银心，我知道，有人在前面等我。他已经等了我很久了。
Bú pà. Yínxīn, wǒ zhīdào, yǒu rén zài qiánmiàn děng wǒ. Tā yǐjīng děng le wǒ hěn jiǔ le.
No. Yinxin, I know someone is waiting for me up ahead. He's been waiting for me a long time.
- The Matchmaker 等你？马家在安乐村，还远着呢！小姐，你在说什么？
Děng nǐ? Mǎ jiā zài Ānlè Cūn, hái yuǎnzhe ne! Xiǎojie, nǐ zài shuō shénme?
Waiting for you? The Ma family is in Anle Village, still a long way off! Miss, what are you talking about?
- Yinxin 小姐是说，马公子在等她。
Xiǎojie shì shuō, Mǎ gōngzǐ zài děng tā.
Miss means Young Master Ma is waiting for her.
- The Matchmaker 对对对，马公子等着呢！大家走快一点儿！
Duì duì duì, Mǎ gōngzǐ děngzhe ne! Dàjiā zǒu kuài yìdiǎnr!
Yes, yes, yes, Young Master Ma is waiting! Everyone, a little faster!
- Yinxin 小姐，十字路口到了。您看，路边那个墓，上面的土还是新的……
Xiǎojie, shízì lùkǒu dào le. Nín kàn, lùbiān nàge mù, shàngmiàn de tǔ háishì xīn de…
Miss, we're at the crossroads. Look, that grave by the road, the earth on it still fresh...
- The Matchmaker 那就是要拜的墓吧？说好了，只停一下，拜完就走！
Nà jiù shì yào bài de mù ba? Shuō hǎo le, zhǐ tíng yíxià, bài wán jiù zǒu!
That's the grave she's to bow at, isn't it? Remember, a short stop, a bow, and we go!
- Narrator 就在这时，大风吹来，抬花轿的四个人差点儿倒了。
Jiù zài zhè shí, dàfēng chuī lái, tái huājiào de sì gè rén chàdiǎnr dǎo le.
At that very moment a wild wind came howling, and the four men carrying the sedan nearly fell.
- The Matchmaker 怎么回事？花轿……花轿不动了！
Zěnme huí shì? Huājiào… huājiào bú dòng le!
What's going on? The sedan... the sedan won't move!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Master Zhu ask as the sedan leaves?
“你不会后悔的……对吧？”
- Why does the matchmaker keep talking?
“好日子就要多说好话，才吉利！而且，红包也不能白拿啊”
- What does the matchmaker fear when the black clouds come?
“千万别下雨！”
- How does Yinxin explain Yingtai's words about someone waiting?
“小姐是说，马公子在等她”
- What happens at the crossroads?
“大风吹来，抬花轿的四个人差点儿倒了”……“花轿不动了！”