Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess · chapter 4 of 4
The New Bride
新娘
Years later, a matchmaker knocks with news of a girl who has heard Liu Yi's name. On the wedding night, he lifts the red cloth.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很多年过去了。柳毅住在金陵，一个人过日子。
Hěn duō nián guòqù le. Liǔ Yì zhù zài Jīnlíng, yí gè rén guò rìzi.
Many years passed. Liu Yi now lived in Jinling, all by himself.
- The Matchmaker 柳先生！我敲了三下门了！你在家吗？我是来说好事的！
Liǔ xiānsheng! Wǒ qiāo le sān xià mén le! Nǐ zài jiā ma? Wǒ shì lái shuō hǎo shì de!
Mr. Liu! I've knocked three times! Are you home? I've come with good news!
- Liu Yi 又是媒人？我一个人过得很好，谢谢您。
Yòu shì méirén? Wǒ yí gè rén guò de hěn hǎo, xièxie nín.
Another matchmaker? I'm doing fine alone, thank you.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess 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, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- The Matchmaker 这一位不一样！她姓卢，家在范阳。她妈妈说，她又聪明又漂亮。
Zhè yí wèi bù yíyàng! Tā xìng Lú, jiā zài Fànyáng. Tā māma shuō, tā yòu cōngming yòu piàoliang.
This one is different! Her family name is Lu, from Fanyang. Her mother says she's smart and beautiful.
- Liu Yi 她为什么想和我结婚？她又不认识我。
Tā wèishénme xiǎng hé wǒ jiéhūn? Tā yòu bú rènshi wǒ.
Why would she want to marry me? She doesn't even know me.
- The Matchmaker 她说，她听过你的名字。她还有一句话，要自己对你说。
Tā shuō, tā tīng guo nǐ de míngzi. Tā hái yǒu yí jù huà, yào zìjǐ duì nǐ shuō.
She says she has heard your name. She also has something to say to you herself.
- Liu Yi 听过我的名字？我只是一个没考上的读书人……
Tīng guo wǒ de míngzi? Wǒ zhǐshì yí gè méi kǎoshàng de dúshūrén…
She's heard my name? I'm only a scholar who failed his exam…
- The Matchmaker 见一见吧！明天就是好日子。
Jiàn yi jiàn ba! Míngtiān jiù shì hǎo rìzi.
Just meet her! Tomorrow is a lucky day.
- Liu Yi 好吧。就见一次。
Hǎo ba. Jiù jiàn yí cì.
All right. Just once.
- Narrator 结婚那天，家里很热闹。
Jiéhūn nà tiān, jiā lǐ hěn rènao.
On the wedding day, the house was full of noise and joy.
- Liu Yi 我的手在发抖……上一次这么紧张，是考试的时候。
Wǒ de shǒu zài fādǒu… Shàng yí cì zhème jǐnzhāng, shì kǎoshì de shíhou.
My hands are shaking… The last time I was this nervous was the exam.
- Liu Yi 姑娘，我要把红布拿下来了。
Gūniang, wǒ yào bǎ hóng bù ná xiàlái le.
Miss, I'm going to take off the red cloth now.
- Liu Yi 这张脸……我见过。你……你是公主？
Zhè zhāng liǎn… wǒ jiàn guo. Nǐ… nǐ shì gōngzhǔ?
This face… I've seen it. Are you… the princess?
- The Dragon Princess 柳先生，您终于认出我了。
Liǔ xiānsheng, nín zhōngyú rèn chū wǒ le.
Mr. Liu, you finally recognize me.
- Liu Yi 怎么会是你？你不是在洞庭湖吗？
Zěnme huì shì nǐ? Nǐ bú shì zài Dòngtíng Hú ma?
How can it be you? Aren't you at Dongting Lake?
- The Dragon Princess 我回家以后，天天想你。爸爸让我变成人，住到范阳的卢家。
Wǒ huíjiā yǐhòu, tiāntiān xiǎng nǐ. Bàba ràng wǒ biàn chéng rén, zhù dào Fànyáng de Lú jiā.
After I went home, I thought of you every day. Father let me become human and live with the Lu family in Fanyang.
- Liu Yi 你等了我这么多年？
Nǐ děng le wǒ zhème duō nián?
You waited for me all these years?
- The Dragon Princess 那天你说“不”，因为你是好人。今天，这是你自己想要的。
Nà tiān nǐ shuō “bù”, yīnwèi nǐ shì hǎorén. Jīntiān, zhè shì nǐ zìjǐ xiǎng yào de.
That day you said “no” because you are a good man. Today, this is what you chose yourself.
- Liu Yi 我想要的，是一个不认识的姑娘……运气真好！
Wǒ xiǎng yào de, shì yí gè bú rènshi de gūniang… Yùnqi zhēn hǎo!
What I chose was a girl I didn't know… What luck!
- The Dragon Princess 不是运气。是你那天帮了我，所以今天我们在这里。
Bú shì yùnqi. Shì nǐ nà tiān bāng le wǒ, suǒyǐ jīntiān wǒmen zài zhèlǐ.
It's not luck. You helped me that day, and that's why we are here today.
- Liu Yi 你现在……还要放羊吗？
Nǐ xiànzài… hái yào fàng yáng ma?
And now… do you still have to herd sheep?
- The Dragon Princess 不放了。雨神现在自己出去玩了。
Bú fàng le. Yǔshén xiànzài zìjǐ chūqù wán le.
No more. The rain spirits go out to play by themselves now.
- The Dragon Princess 还有一件事。我叔叔说，他要来喝酒。
Hái yǒu yí jiàn shì. Wǒ shūshu shuō, tā yào lái hē jiǔ.
One more thing. My uncle says he's coming for the wedding wine.
- Liu Yi 钱塘君？！那……我是不是要跑？
Qiántáng Jūn?! Nà… wǒ shì bú shì yào pǎo?
Lord Qiantang?! Then… should I run?
- The Dragon Princess 别怕。他说，他最喜欢的读书人，就是你。
Bié pà. Tā shuō, tā zuì xǐhuan de dúshūrén, jiù shì nǐ.
Don't be afraid. He says his favorite scholar is you.
- Lord Qiantang 侄女！柳毅！我来喝酒了！
Zhínǚ! Liǔ Yì! Wǒ lái hē jiǔ le!
Niece! Liu Yi! I've come for the wine!
- Liu Yi 来了来了！你听，他一点儿也没变。
Lái le lái le! Nǐ tīng, tā yìdiǎnr yě méi biàn.
He's here! Listen, he hasn't changed at all.
- The Dragon Princess 柳先生，从今天起，我们不再分开。
Liǔ xiānsheng, cóng jīntiān qǐ, wǒmen bú zài fēnkāi.
Mr. Liu, from today on, we won't be apart again.
- Liu Yi 好。这一次，我不说“再见”。
Hǎo. Zhè yí cì, wǒ bù shuō “zàijiàn”.
Good. This time, I won't say “goodbye.”
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Where does Liu Yi live now?
“柳毅住在金陵，一个人过日子。”
- What does the matchmaker say about the girl?
“她姓卢，家在范阳。”……“她听过你的名字。”
- Who does Liu Yi see when he takes off the red cloth?
“你……你是公主？”
- How did the princess become a human bride?
“爸爸让我变成人，住到范阳的卢家。”
- What does Liu Yi promise at the end?
“这一次，我不说“再见”。”