Lady Meng Jiang · chapter 3 of 5
The Wedding Night
结婚那天晚上
Red lanterns, red paper and a toast from two families: it is the happiest night of Meng Jiangnu's life. Then someone pounds on the door.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 三天以后，孟家门上都是红纸，门口挂着两个红灯笼。
Sān tiān yǐhòu, Mèng jiā mén shang dōu shì hóng zhǐ, ménkǒu guàzhe liǎng gè hóng dēnglong.
Three days later, the Mengs' door was covered in red paper, and two red lanterns hung by the gate.
- Meng Jiangnu's father 大家喝酒！孟家和姜家的女儿，今天结婚了！
Dàjiā hē jiǔ! Mèng jiā hé Jiāng jiā de nǚ'ér, jīntiān jiéhūn le!
Drink up, everyone! The daughter of the Mengs and the Jiangs is getting married today!
- Fan Xiliang 姜女，你穿红衣服真好看。
Jiāngnǚ, nǐ chuān hóng yīfu zhēn hǎokàn.
Jiangnu, you look beautiful in red.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Lady Meng Jiang 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.
- Meng Jiangnu 喜良，从今天起，我们就是一家人了。
Xǐliáng, cóng jīntiān qǐ, wǒmen jiù shì yì jiā rén le.
Xiliang, from today on, we're family.
- Fan Xiliang 我本来是一个没有家的人。现在，我有你，也有爸爸了。
Wǒ běnlái shì yí gè méiyǒu jiā de rén. Xiànzài, wǒ yǒu nǐ, yě yǒu bàba le.
I used to be a man with no home. Now I have you, and a father too.
- Meng Jiangnu's father 好孩子！来，再喝一杯！
Hǎo háizi! Lái, zài hē yì bēi!
That's my boy! Come on, have another cup!
- Meng Jiangnu 喜良，明年，我们也在墙边种葫芦吧。
Xǐliáng, míngnián, wǒmen yě zài qiáng biān zhòng húlu ba.
Xiliang, next year, let's plant gourds by the wall too.
- Fan Xiliang 好啊。等葫芦长大了，我们的孩子也长大了。
Hǎo a. Děng húlu zhǎngdà le, wǒmen de háizi yě zhǎngdà le.
Let's. And by the time the gourds are big, our children will be growing up too.
- Narrator 那天夜里，客人都走了，家里很安静。忽然，门外来了很多官兵。
Nà tiān yèlǐ, kèrén dōu zǒu le, jiā lǐ hěn ānjìng. Hūrán, mén wài lái le hěn duō guānbīng.
Late that night, the guests had all gone home, and the house was quiet. Suddenly, a crowd of officers appeared outside the door.
- The officer 开门！快开门！
Kāi mén! Kuài kāi mén!
Open up! Open this door, now!
- Meng Jiangnu's father 这么晚了……你们找谁？
Zhème wǎn le… nǐmen zhǎo shéi?
At this hour… who are you looking for?
- The officer 有人说，你们家有一个跑了的读书人。范喜良在哪儿？
Yǒu rén shuō, nǐmen jiā yǒu yí gè pǎo le de dúshūrén. Fàn Xǐliáng zài nǎr?
We hear there's a runaway scholar in this house. Where is Fan Xiliang?
- Meng Jiangnu 喜良，快跑！从后花园跑！
Xǐliáng, kuài pǎo! Cóng hòu huāyuán pǎo!
Xiliang, run! Go out through the back garden!
- Fan Xiliang 太晚了，他们已经进来了……姜女，别怕。
Tài wǎn le, tāmen yǐjīng jìnlái le… Jiāngnǚ, bié pà.
It's too late. They're already inside… Jiangnu, don't be afraid.
- The officer 找到你了！皇帝要修长城，你还想跑？带走！
Zhǎo dào nǐ le! Huángdì yào xiū Chángchéng, nǐ hái xiǎng pǎo? Dài zǒu!
Got you! The emperor is building the Great Wall, and you think you can run? Take him!
- Meng Jiangnu 放开他！今天是我们结婚的日子啊！
Fàngkāi tā! Jīntiān shì wǒmen jiéhūn de rìzi a!
Let him go! This is our wedding day!
- The officer 结婚？长城不等人！
Jiéhūn? Chángchéng bù děng rén!
Wedding? The Great Wall waits for no one!
- Meng Jiangnu's father 求求你们，让他留下吧！
Qiúqiu nǐmen, ràng tā liú xià ba!
I'm begging you, let him stay!
- The officer 走开！皇帝的话，谁敢不听？
Zǒukāi! Huángdì de huà, shéi gǎn bù tīng?
Out of my way! Who dares to disobey the emperor?
- Fan Xiliang 姜女，等我！我一定会回来的！
Jiāngnǚ, děng wǒ! Wǒ yídìng huì huílái de!
Jiangnu, wait for me! I'll come back, I promise!
- Meng Jiangnu 喜良！喜良……
Xǐliáng! Xǐliáng…
Xiliang! Xiliang…
- Narrator 红灯笼还亮着，可是喜良已经走了。
Hóng dēnglong hái liàngzhe, kěshì Xǐliáng yǐjīng zǒu le.
The red lanterns were still glowing, but Xiliang was gone.
- Meng Jiangnu 喜良，我等你。一天，一年，我都等你。你一定要回来……
Xǐliáng, wǒ děng nǐ. Yì tiān, yì nián, wǒ dōu děng nǐ. Nǐ yídìng yào huílái…
Xiliang, I'll wait for you. A day, a year, however long it takes, I'll wait. You have to come back…
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How is the Meng house decorated for the wedding?
“孟家门上都是红纸，门口挂着两个红灯笼。”
- What does Meng Jiangnu want to do next year?
“明年，我们也在墙边种葫芦吧。”
- Why do the officers come to the house?
“有人说，你们家有一个跑了的读书人。”
- What does the officer answer when Meng Jiangnu cries that it is their wedding day?
“结婚？长城不等人！”
- What does Fan promise as they take him away?
“姜女，等我！我一定会回来的！”