Painted Skin · chapter 2 of 4
The Window
窗户里的东西
Wang laughs at the Taoist's warning, then goes to look through the window of the little room and sees something he will never forget.
Read what you hear
- Wang Sheng 不是人？先生，您在开玩笑吧？她会哭，会笑，还会说话！
Bú shì rén? Xiānsheng, nín zài kāi wánxiào ba? Tā huì kū, huì xiào, hái huì shuōhuà!
Not a person? Sir, you must be joking! She cries, she laughs, she even talks!
- The Taoist 会哭会笑的，不一定是人。你可以不信我。
Huì kū huì xiào de, bù yídìng shì rén. Nǐ kěyǐ bú xìn wǒ.
Something that cries and laughs isn't always a person. You don't have to believe me.
- Wang Sheng 我读过很多书，书里没有这样的事。
Wǒ dúguo hěn duō shū, shū lǐ méiyǒu zhèyàng de shì.
I've read a great many books, and none of them has anything like this in it.
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Painted Skin 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.
- The Taoist 书里没有的事，多着呢。今晚回家，先别进门。去后面的窗户外面，往里看一看。
Shū lǐ méiyǒu de shì, duō zhe ne. Jīn wǎn huíjiā, xiān bié jìn mén. Qù hòumiàn de chuānghu wàimiàn, wǎng lǐ kàn yi kàn.
There are plenty of things that aren't in books. Tonight, when you get home, don't go in yet. Go around to the back window and look inside.
- Wang Sheng 看……看什么？
Kàn… kàn shénme?
Look… look at what?
- The Taoist 看她真的样子。看完，往后面的小路跑，我在那儿等你。
Kàn tā zhēn de yàngzi. Kàn wán, wǎng hòumiàn de xiǎolù pǎo, wǒ zài nàr děng nǐ.
Look at how she really is. Then run to the little lane behind your house. I'll be waiting for you there.
- Narrator 天黑了。王生走到家后面，小房间的窗户里，灯还亮着。
Tiān hēi le. Wáng Shēng zǒu dào jiā hòumiàn, xiǎo fángjiān de chuānghu lǐ, dēng hái liàng zhe.
Night had fallen. Wang Sheng walked around behind his house. The lamp was still lit in the little room's window.
- Wang Sheng 那个老道士一定是乱说的。我就看一下。就一下……
Nàge lǎo dàoshi yídìng shì luàn shuō de. Wǒ jiù kàn yí xià. Jiù yí xià…
That old Taoist must be talking nonsense. I'll take just one look. Just one…
- Wang Sheng 窗户里有一个绿脸的妖怪！她的牙又长又尖！
Chuānghu lǐ yǒu yí gè lǜ liǎn de yāoguài! Tā de yá yòu cháng yòu jiān!
There is a green-faced demon in the window! Her teeth are long and sharp!
- Wang Sheng 她在床上画一张脸皮……像画一件纸衣服！
Tā zài chuáng shang huà yì zhāng liǎnpí… xiàng huà yí jiàn zhǐ yīfu!
She's painting a face-skin on the bed… like painting a paper costume!
- The Demon 这双眼睛，还要再大一点。嘴，再小一点。
Zhè shuāng yǎnjing, hái yào zài dà yìdiǎn. Zuǐ, zài xiǎo yìdiǎn.
These eyes need to be a little bigger. The mouth, a little smaller.
- The Demon 好了！今晚，我又是那个漂亮的小姑娘了。
Hǎo le! Jīn wǎn, wǒ yòu shì nàge piàoliang de xiǎo gūniang le.
There! Tonight I'll be that pretty little girl again.
- Wang Sheng 她穿上了！她……她又变成那个姑娘了！
Tā chuān shàng le! Tā… tā yòu biànchéng nàge gūniang le!
She put it on! She… she's turned into that girl again!
- The Demon 谁在外面？！
Shéi zài wàimiàn?!
Who's out there?!
- Wang Sheng 她听见了！快跑！
Tā tīngjiàn le! Kuài pǎo!
She heard me! Run!
- The Girl 王先生？是您吗？天这么黑，您站在外面做什么？
Wáng xiānsheng? Shì nín ma? Tiān zhème hēi, nín zhàn zài wàimiàn zuò shénme?
Mr. Wang? Is that you? It's so dark. What are you doing standing outside?
- Wang Sheng 道长！道长！您在吗？
Dàozhǎng! Dàozhǎng! Nín zài ma?
Master! Master! Are you there?
- The Taoist 我在这儿。你看见了？
Wǒ zài zhèr. Nǐ kànjiàn le?
I'm here. Did you see it?
- Wang Sheng 看见了！绿脸，尖牙……她在画一张脸皮！我家里，住着一个妖怪！
Kànjiàn le! Lǜ liǎn, jiān yá… tā zài huà yì zhāng liǎnpí! Wǒ jiā lǐ, zhù zhe yí gè yāoguài!
I saw! Green face, sharp teeth… she was painting a face-skin! There's a demon living in my house!
- The Taoist 这种妖怪，叫“画皮”。她画一张漂亮的皮穿在身上，专门骗好心的人。
Zhè zhǒng yāoguài, jiào “huà pí”. Tā huà yì zhāng piàoliang de pí chuān zài shēn shang, zhuānmén piàn hǎoxīn de rén.
This kind of demon is called a “painted skin.” She paints a beautiful skin, wears it, and fools kind-hearted people.
- Wang Sheng 我的妻子还在家里！怎么办？
Wǒ de qīzi hái zài jiā lǐ! Zěnme bàn?
My wife is still at home! What do I do?
- The Taoist 拿着。这是我的拂尘。挂在你们房间的门上，她就不敢进去。
Ná zhe. Zhè shì wǒ de fúchén. Guà zài nǐmen fángjiān de mén shang, tā jiù bù gǎn jìnqù.
Take this. It's my whisk. Hang it on your bedroom door, and she won't dare go in.
- Wang Sheng 就这个？它比我家的扫帚还小！
Jiù zhège? Tā bǐ wǒ jiā de sàozhou hái xiǎo!
Just this? It's smaller than our broom!
- The Taoist 你想要大的？大的，我拿不动。
Nǐ xiǎng yào dà de? Dà de, wǒ ná bú dòng.
You'd like a bigger one? A bigger one is too heavy for me to carry.
- Wang Sheng 好……好！我马上回去。
Hǎo… hǎo! Wǒ mǎshàng huíqù.
All right! I'll go back right now.
- The Taoist 记住，今晚谁叫你，都别开门！她的声音再好听，也别开门！
Jìzhù, jīn wǎn shéi jiào nǐ, dōu bié kāi mén! Tā de shēngyīn zài hǎotīng, yě bié kāi mén!
Remember, tonight, no matter who calls you, don't open the door! Even if her voice is sweet, don't open it!
- Wang Sheng 我……我记住了。
Wǒ… wǒ jìzhù le.
I… I'll remember.
- The Girl 王先生……天黑了……回家吧……我在等您……
Wáng xiānsheng… tiān hēi le… huí jiā ba… wǒ zài děng nín…
Mr. Wang… it's dark… come home… I'm waiting for you…
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the Taoist tell Wang to do tonight?
“今晚回家，先别进门。去后面的窗户外面，往里看一看。”
- What does Wang see through the window?
“一个绿脸的妖怪！她的牙又长又尖！”……“她在床上画一张脸皮”
- What does the demon say she will be tonight?
“今晚，我又是那个漂亮的小姑娘了。”
- What does a “painted skin” demon do, according to the Taoist?
“她画一张漂亮的皮穿在身上，专门骗好心的人。”
- What must Wang do tonight to stay safe?
“挂在你们房间的门上，她就不敢进去。”……“今晚谁叫你，都别开门！”