Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves · chapter 19 of 25
Lianxiang
莲香
In Pu Songling's last tale, Sang Xiao boasts he would open his door to any female ghost, and his neighbor decides to put him to the test.
Read what you hear
- Pu Songling 有一年，我到了沂州，下大雨走不了，就住在一家客店里。
Yǒu yì nián, wǒ dào le Yízhōu, xià dàyǔ zǒu bu liǎo, jiù zhù zài yì jiā kèdiàn li.
One year I came to Yizhou. Heavy rain kept me from going on, so I stayed at an inn.
- Pu Songling 桑晓的表哥给我看了一本写他的书，有一万多字。我只写下了一点点。
Sāng Xiǎo de biǎogē gěi wǒ kàn le yì běn xiě tā de shū, yǒu yíwàn duō zì. Wǒ zhǐ xiě xià le yìdiǎndiǎn.
Sang Xiao's cousin showed me a book about him, more than ten thousand characters long. I've written down only a little of it.
- Narrator 书生桑晓从小没有爹和娘，一个人住在红花埠，天天去东边的邻居那儿吃饭。
Shūshēng Sāng Xiǎo cóngxiǎo méiyǒu diē hé niáng, yí gè rén zhù zài Hónghuā Bù, tiāntiān qù dōngbian de línjū nàr chīfàn.
Sang Xiao, a scholar, had grown up with no father or mother. He lived alone at Red Flower Wharf and ate every day at his neighbor's to the east.
Chapter 19 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves (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.
- The Neighbor 你一个人住，晚上不怕鬼，也不怕狐狸吗？
Nǐ yí gè rén zhù, wǎnshang bú pà guǐ, yě bú pà húli ma?
You live all alone. Aren't you afraid of ghosts at night, or of foxes?
- Sang Xiao 怕什么？男鬼来了，我有剑。女鬼来了，我就开门让她进来！
Pà shénme? Nán guǐ lái le, wǒ yǒu jiàn. Nǚ guǐ lái le, wǒ jiù kāi mén ràng tā jìnlai!
Afraid of what? If a male ghost comes, I have my sword. If a female ghost comes, I'll open the door and let her in!
- The Neighbor 好啊！我跟朋友们找一个唱歌的姑娘，给他开一个玩笑。
Hǎo a! Wǒ gēn péngyoumen zhǎo yí gè chànggē de gūniang, gěi tā kāi yí gè wánxiào.
Oh, really! My friends and I will find a singing girl and play a joke on him.
- Narrator 那天夜里，门外有一个姑娘，说她是一个女鬼。
Nà tiān yè li, mén wài yǒu yí gè gūniang, shuō tā shì yí gè nǚ guǐ.
That night, a girl outside his door said she was a female ghost.
- Sang Xiao 鬼……真……真的有鬼……
Guǐ… zhēn… zhēn de yǒu guǐ…
A gh-ghost... there r-really is a ghost...
- The Neighbor 早啊！昨天晚上，睡得好吗？
Zǎo a! Zuótiān wǎnshang, shuì de hǎo ma?
Morning! Did you sleep well last night?
- Sang Xiao 昨天夜里，真的有一个女鬼！我……我想回家了。
Zuótiān yè li, zhēn de yǒu yí gè nǚ guǐ! Wǒ… wǒ xiǎng huí jiā le.
Last night there really was a female ghost! I... I think I'll go home.
- The Neighbor 女鬼来了，你为什么不开门让她进来？
Nǚ guǐ lái le, nǐ wèishénme bù kāi mén ràng tā jìnlai?
A female ghost came, so why didn't you open the door and let her in?
- Sang Xiao 好啊，我的好邻居！那个女鬼，是你们找来的！
Hǎo a, wǒ de hǎo línjū! Nàge nǚ guǐ, shì nǐmen zhǎo lái de!
Well, well, my good neighbor! You and your friends sent that ghost girl!
- Narrator 半年过去了。一天夜里，又有人来了。
Bàn nián guòqu le. Yì tiān yè li, yòu yǒu rén lái le.
Half a year went by. One night, someone came again.
- Sang Xiao 又是邻居的朋友们吧？好，这次我开门！
Yòu shì línjū de péngyoumen ba? Hǎo, zhè cì wǒ kāi mén!
My neighbor's friends again, I suppose? Fine, this time I'll open the door!
- Sang Xiao 天哪……你是谁？
Tiān na… nǐ shì shéi?
Heavens... who are you?
- Lianxiang 我叫莲香，是西边那家唱歌的姑娘。
Wǒ jiào Liánxiāng, shì xībian nà jiā chànggē de gūniang.
My name is Lianxiang. I'm a singing girl from the house to the west.
- Sang Xiao 红花埠唱歌的姑娘很多……她这么美，一定不是鬼。
Hónghuā Bù chànggē de gūniang hěn duō… tā zhème měi, yídìng bú shì guǐ.
There are lots of singing girls at Red Flower Wharf... and she's so beautiful, she can't be a ghost.
- Lianxiang 你看我，像鬼吗？
Nǐ kàn wǒ, xiàng guǐ ma?
Look at me. Do I look like a ghost?
- Sang Xiao 不像，不像！快进来吧，外边冷。
Bú xiàng, bú xiàng! Kuài jìnlai ba, wàibian lěng.
Not at all, not at all! Come in quickly, it's cold outside.
- Narrator 从那天起，莲香三五天就来一次。有一天晚上，桑晓一个人坐着……
Cóng nà tiān qǐ, Liánxiāng sān wǔ tiān jiù lái yí cì. Yǒu yì tiān wǎnshang, Sāng Xiǎo yí gè rén zuòzhe…
From that day on, Lianxiang came every few days. One evening, Sang Xiao was sitting alone...
- Sang Xiao 莲香，你来了？……你不是莲香！你是谁？
Liánxiāng, nǐ lái le?… Nǐ bú shì Liánxiāng! Nǐ shì shéi?
Lianxiang, is that you?... You're not Lianxiang! Who are you?
- Li 桑公子，我姓李，是好人家的女儿。我早就听说过你。
Sāng gōngzǐ, wǒ xìng Lǐ, shì hǎo rénjiā de nǚ'ér. Wǒ zǎo jiù tīngshuōguo nǐ.
Mr. Sang, my family name is Li. I come from a good family. I've heard of you for a long time.
- Sang Xiao 这么小，才十五六岁……她会不会是狐狸？
Zhème xiǎo, cái shíwǔ liù suì… tā huì bu huì shì húli?
So young, only fifteen or sixteen... could she be a fox?
- Li 桑公子，你怕我吗？
Sāng gōngzǐ, nǐ pà wǒ ma?
Mr. Sang, are you afraid of me?
- Sang Xiao 我？我什么都不怕！来，手给我。
Wǒ? Wǒ shénme dōu bú pà! Lái, shǒu gěi wǒ.
Me? I'm not afraid of anything! Come, give me your hand.
- Li 好……
Hǎo…
All right...
- Sang Xiao 你的手……像冰一样！你怎么这么冷？
Nǐ de shǒu… xiàng bīng yíyàng! Nǐ zěnme zhème lěng?
Your hand... it's like ice! Why are you so cold?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What did Sang Xiao's cousin show Pu Songling?
“给我看了一本写他的书，有一万多字”
- What does Sang Xiao say he would do if a female ghost came?
“女鬼来了，我就开门让她进来”
- Who sent the ghost girl to Sang Xiao's door?
“我跟朋友们找一个唱歌的姑娘，给他开一个玩笑”
- Why does Sang Xiao believe Lianxiang is a singing girl?
“红花埠唱歌的姑娘很多”
- What surprises Sang Xiao when he takes Li's hand?
“你的手……像冰一样”