Liaozhai: Fox and Ghost Loves · chapter 6 of 25
Yan Chixia's Box
燕赤霞的箱子
Shining eyes at the window, Brother Yan snoring beside the box Ning must never open, and a promise under a white poplar that Ning still has to keep.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，在燕赤霞的房间里，宁采臣一动也不敢动。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, zài Yàn Chìxiá de fángjiān li, Níng Cǎichén yí dòng yě bù gǎn dòng.
That night, in Yan Chixia's room, Ning Caichen didn't dare move at all.
- Ning Caichen 小倩说得对，真的有东西来杀我了！那个影子的眼睛，还在看着我……
Xiǎoqiàn shuō de duì, zhēn de yǒu dōngxi lái shā wǒ le! Nàge yǐngzi de yǎnjing, hái zài kànzhe wǒ…
Xiaoqian was right, something really has come to kill me! That shadow's eyes are still watching me...
- Narrator 忽然，窗台上的箱子开了，里边飞出一个白白亮亮的东西！
Hūrán, chuāngtái shang de xiāngzi kāi le, lǐbian fēi chū yí gè báibái liàngliàng de dōngxi!
Suddenly the box on the windowsill burst open, and something white and shining flew out!
Chapter 6 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.
- Ning Caichen 像一条白色的带子！它打坏了窗户上的石头，又飞回去了！
Xiàng yì tiáo báisè de dàizi! Tā dǎ huài le chuānghu shang de shítou, yòu fēi huíqu le!
Like a white ribbon! It smashed the stone in the window and flew back in!
- Yan Chixia 什么老妖怪，敢到这儿来！我的箱子都坏了。
Shénme lǎo yāoguài, gǎn dào zhèr lái! Wǒ de xiāngzi dōu huài le.
Some old demon dares to come here! Now my box is broken.
- Ning Caichen 燕大哥，您睡觉的声音像雷一样大！我叫您，您也不起来！
Yàn dàgē, nín shuìjiào de shēngyīn xiàng léi yíyàng dà! Wǒ jiào nín, nín yě bù qǐlai!
Brother Yan, you snored as loud as thunder! I called you, and you didn't even get up!
- Yan Chixia 我睡觉，我的剑可不睡觉。
Wǒ shuìjiào, wǒ de jiàn kě bú shuìjiào.
I sleep, but my sword doesn't.
- Ning Caichen 剑？您有剑？
Jiàn? Nín yǒu jiàn?
A sword? You have a sword?
- Yan Chixia 我说话直。你是我的朋友，我不骗你：我是一个剑客。
Wǒ shuōhuà zhí. Nǐ shì wǒ de péngyou, wǒ bú piàn nǐ: wǒ shì yí gè jiànkè.
I speak plainly. You're my friend, and I won't lie to you: I'm a swordsman.
- Ning Caichen 剑客！那个老妖怪……它死了吗？
Jiànkè! Nàge lǎo yāoguài… tā sǐ le ma?
A swordsman! That old demon... is it dead?
- Yan Chixia 要是没有那块石头，它已经死了。它现在一定很疼！
Yàoshi méiyǒu nà kuài shítou, tā yǐjīng sǐ le. Tā xiànzài yídìng hěn téng!
If not for that stone, it would be dead already. It must be hurting badly now!
- Ning Caichen 燕大哥，能给我看看您的剑吗？
Yàn dàgē, néng gěi wǒ kànkan nín de jiàn ma?
Brother Yan, may I see your sword?
- Yan Chixia 你的问题真多！好吧，看吧。
Nǐ de wèntí zhēn duō! Hǎo ba, kàn ba.
You sure ask a lot of questions! All right, take a look.
- Ning Caichen 这么小的剑，这么亮！还没有我的笔一半长！
Zhème xiǎo de jiàn, zhème liàng! Hái méiyǒu wǒ de bǐ yíbàn cháng!
Such a little sword, and so bright! It isn't even half as long as my writing brush!
- Narrator 第二天早上，窗户外边的地上有血。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, chuānghu wàibian de dì shang yǒu xiě.
The next morning, there was blood on the ground outside the window.
- Ning Caichen 寺的北边有很多坟。白杨树上有一个乌鸦窝……小倩，就是这儿。
Sì de běibian yǒu hěn duō fén. Báiyángshù shang yǒu yí gè wūyā wō… Xiǎoqiàn, jiù shì zhèr.
North of the temple there are so many graves. There's a crow's nest in a white poplar... Xiaoqian, this is the place.
- Yan Chixia 老弟，事办完了，明天就回家了吧？喝了这杯酒！
Lǎodì, shì bàn wán le, míngtiān jiù huí jiā le ba? Hē le zhè bēi jiǔ!
Little brother, your business is done, and you go home tomorrow, don't you? Drink up this cup of wine!
- Ning Caichen 燕大哥，您给我这个旧皮袋？
Yàn dàgē, nín gěi wǒ zhège jiù pídài?
Brother Yan, you're giving me this old leather bag?
- Yan Chixia 这是我放剑的皮袋。带着它，鬼和妖怪都不敢走近你。
Zhè shì wǒ fàng jiàn de pídài. Dàizhe tā, guǐ hé yāoguài dōu bù gǎn zǒujìn nǐ.
It's the leather bag I keep my sword in. Carry it, and no ghost or demon will dare come near you.
- Ning Caichen 燕大哥，您教我用剑吧！我也想做一个剑客！
Yàn dàgē, nín jiāo wǒ yòng jiàn ba! Wǒ yě xiǎng zuò yí gè jiànkè!
Brother Yan, teach me to use a sword! I want to be a swordsman too!
- Yan Chixia 你是好人，可是剑客的路，不是你的路。你以后会有钱，也会有名。
Nǐ shì hǎorén, kěshì jiànkè de lù, bú shì nǐ de lù. Nǐ yǐhòu huì yǒu qián, yě huì yǒumíng.
You're a good man, but a swordsman's road isn't yours. One day you'll be rich, and famous too.
- Ning Caichen 我还有一件事：我的妹妹埋在寺的北边，我要带她回家。
Wǒ hái yǒu yí jiàn shì: wǒ de mèimei mái zài sì de běibian, wǒ yào dài tā huí jiā.
There's one more thing: my sister is buried north of the temple, and I want to take her home.
- Yan Chixia 你的妹妹？……好，去吧。
Nǐ de mèimei?… Hǎo, qù ba.
Your sister?... All right. Go on.
- Ning Caichen 小倩，我来带你回家了。我用衣服和被子，包好你的骨头。
Xiǎoqiàn, wǒ lái dài nǐ huí jiā le. Wǒ yòng yīfu hé bèizi, bāo hǎo nǐ de gǔtou.
Xiaoqian, I've come to take you home. I'll wrap your bones in clothes and a quilt.
- Narrator 宁采臣坐船回到家，把小倩的骨头埋在书房外边。
Níng Cǎichén zuò chuán huí dào jiā, bǎ Xiǎoqiàn de gǔtou mái zài shūfáng wàibian.
Ning Caichen went home by boat and buried Xiaoqian's bones outside his study.
- Ning Caichen 小倩，你一个人在那儿，太冷了。你哭你笑，我都能听见。
Xiǎoqiàn, nǐ yí gè rén zài nàr, tài lěng le. Nǐ kū nǐ xiào, wǒ dōu néng tīngjiàn.
Xiaoqian, you were all alone out there, and so cold. Now when you cry or laugh, I'll hear you.
- Ning Caichen 这里没有坏鬼敢来找你。这杯酒不好，请你喝了吧。
Zhèlǐ méiyǒu huài guǐ gǎn lái zhǎo nǐ. Zhè bēi jiǔ bù hǎo, qǐng nǐ hē le ba.
No wicked ghost here will dare come after you. This wine is poor, but please drink it.
- Nie Xiaoqian 公子！慢一点儿走，等等我！我们一起走吧！
Gōngzǐ! Màn yìdiǎnr zǒu, děngdeng wǒ! Wǒmen yìqǐ zǒu ba!
Sir! Slow down, wait for me! Let's go together!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What flies out of the little box on the windowsill?
“里边飞出一个白白亮亮的东西……像一条白色的带子”
- What does Yan Chixia tell Ning he is?
“我是一个剑客”
- Why didn't Yan's sword kill the old demon?
“要是没有那块石头，它已经死了”
- Why won't Yan teach Ning to use a sword?
“剑客的路，不是你的路。你以后会有钱，也会有名”
- What does Ning tell Yan before he leaves?
“我的妹妹埋在寺的北边”