Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 21 of 21
Heaven Knows My Heart
只有天知道
On the morning Zheng Heng is to come as the bridegroom, Madam Cui still believes his story. Then many horses stop at the temple gate.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天早上，郑恒就要来做新郎了。可是，寺门外先来了很多马。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, Zhèng Héng jiù yào lái zuò xīnláng le. Kěshì, sì mén wài xiān lái le hěn duō mǎ.
The next morning, Zheng Heng was to come as the bridegroom. But before he came, many horses arrived at the temple gate.
- Zhang Sheng 老夫人，我回来了！我考上状元了！我先给您拜一拜！
Lǎo fūrén, wǒ huílai le! Wǒ kǎoshàng zhuàngyuan le! Wǒ xiān gěi nín bài yi bài!
Madam, I'm back! I came first in the exams! Let me bow to you first!
- Madam Cui 别拜！卫尚书的女婿，我们崔家怎么敢让你拜！
Bié bài! Wèi shàngshū de nǚxu, wǒmen Cuī jiā zěnme gǎn ràng nǐ bài!
Don't bow! How would our Cui family dare take a bow from Minister Wei's son-in-law!
Chapter 21 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Romance of the Western Chamber (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.
- Zhang Sheng 卫尚书？女婿？老夫人，您说什么？
Wèi shàngshū? Nǚxu? Lǎo fūrén, nín shuō shénme?
Minister Wei? Son-in-law? Madam, what are you saying?
- Hongniang 傻书生，卫尚书的女儿扔的花球，打得疼不疼？
Shǎ shūshēng, Wèi shàngshū de nǚ'ér rēng de huāqiú, dǎ de téng bu téng?
Silly scholar, that flower ball Minister Wei's daughter threw, did it hurt?
- Zhang Sheng 什么花球？我在京城天天想着小姐，谁家的花球也没见过！
Shénme huāqiú? Wǒ zài jīngchéng tiāntiān xiǎngzhe xiǎojiě, shéi jiā de huāqiú yě méi jiànguo!
What flower ball? In the capital I thought of the young lady every day. I never saw anyone's flower ball!
- Hongniang 我就知道！郑公子在骗人，他今天还要来做新郎呢！
Wǒ jiù zhīdào! Zhèng gōngzǐ zài piàn rén, tā jīntiān hái yào lái zuò xīnláng ne!
I knew it! Master Zheng is lying, and he's even coming today to be the bridegroom!
- Zhang Sheng 小姐！你也信他的话吗？
Xiǎojiě! Nǐ yě xìn tā de huà ma?
Miss! Do you believe him too?
- Cui Yingying 先生好。
Xiānsheng hǎo.
Greetings, sir.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，你怎么这样叫我？我还是那句话：我的心，只有天知道！
Xiǎojiě, nǐ zěnme zhèyàng jiào wǒ? Wǒ háishi nà jù huà: wǒ de xīn, zhǐyǒu tiān zhīdào!
Miss, why do you call me that? I'll say it again: only heaven knows my heart!
- Abbot Faben 老夫人，我买来的名单上，第一个就是张先生！
Lǎo fūrén, wǒ mǎi lái de míngdān shang, dì yī gè jiù shì Zhāng xiānsheng!
Madam, on the list I bought, the very first name is Mr. Zhang's!
- Abbot Faben 皇帝还让他做了河中最大的官。他要是卫尚书的女婿，怎么会回河中来呢？
Huángdì hái ràng tā zuò le Hézhōng zuì dà de guān. Tā yàoshi Wèi shàngshū de nǚxu, zěnme huì huí Hézhōng lái ne?
And the emperor has made him the highest official in Hezhong. If he were Minister Wei's son-in-law, why would he come back to Hezhong?
- Madam Cui 长老，您是说，郑恒在骗我？
Zhǎnglǎo, nín shì shuō, Zhèng Héng zài piàn wǒ?
Abbot, you mean Zheng Heng is lying to me?
- Du Que 君瑞！我喝你的喜酒来了！
Jūnruì! Wǒ hē nǐ de xǐjiǔ lái le!
Junrui! I've come to drink your wedding wine!
- Zhang Sheng 杜大哥！郑恒说我做了卫尚书的女婿，老夫人就信了！
Dù dàgē! Zhèng Héng shuō wǒ zuò le Wèi shàngshū de nǚxu, Lǎo fūrén jiù xìn le!
Brother Du! Zheng Heng said I'd become Minister Wei's son-in-law, and Madam believed him!
- Du Que 老夫人，您怎么说话不算话？郑恒的话，您也信？
Lǎo fūrén, nín zěnme shuōhuà bú suànhuà? Zhèng Héng de huà, nín yě xìn?
Madam, how can you break your word? You believe Zheng Heng?
- Madam Cui 将军说得对，我真后悔。张生，拜吧！今天的新郎，是我们的状元！
Jiāngjūn shuō de duì, wǒ zhēn hòuhuǐ. Zhāng Shēng, bài ba! Jīntiān de xīnláng, shì wǒmen de zhuàngyuan!
The general is right. How I regret it! Zhang Sheng, go on and bow! Today's bridegroom is our top graduate!
- Zheng Heng 姑妈，新郎来了！状元？您怎么也在这儿？
Gūmā, xīnláng lái le! Zhuàngyuan? Nín zěnme yě zài zhèr?
Aunt, the bridegroom is here! Top graduate? Why are you here too?
- Hongniang 郑公子，月亮回来了，萤火虫还不快飞走？
Zhèng gōngzǐ, yuèliang huílai le, yínghuǒchóng hái bú kuài fēi zǒu?
Master Zheng, the moon is back. Isn't it time the firefly flew away?
- Du Que 郑恒，你敢骗人？这件事，我要告诉皇帝！
Zhèng Héng, nǐ gǎn piàn rén? Zhè jiàn shì, wǒ yào gàosu huángdì!
Zheng Heng, you dare to lie? I'll tell the emperor about this!
- Zheng Heng 将军，别告诉皇帝！花球的事，是我说着玩的！
Jiāngjūn, bié gàosu huángdì! Huāqiú de shì, shì wǒ shuōzhe wán de!
General, don't tell the emperor! That flower ball story, I only said it as a joke!
- Narrator 郑恒跑出寺门，一头碰在大树上，就没有再起来。
Zhèng Héng pǎo chū sì mén, yìtóu pèng zài dà shù shang, jiù méiyǒu zài qǐlai.
Zheng Heng ran out of the temple gate, dashed his head against a big tree, and never got up again.
- Madam Cui 这个傻孩子……
Zhège shǎ háizi…
That foolish child...
- Narrator 那天晚上，莺莺穿上张生从京城带来的新衣服，和他结婚了。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Yīngyīng chuānshàng Zhāng Shēng cóng jīngchéng dàilái de xīn yīfu, hé tā jiéhūn le.
That evening, Yingying put on the new clothes Zhang Sheng had brought from the capital and married him.
- Du Que 君瑞，京城来人了！皇帝也为你们高兴！
Jūnruì, jīngchéng lái rén le! Huángdì yě wèi nǐmen gāoxìng!
Junrui, someone has come from the capital! The emperor is happy for you too!
- Hongniang 傻书生，第一杯喜酒呢？你没忘吧？
Shǎ shūshēng, dì yī bēi xǐjiǔ ne? Nǐ méi wàng ba?
Silly scholar, what about the first cup of wedding wine? You haven't forgotten, have you?
- Zhang Sheng 怎么会忘？红娘，这第一杯，是你的！
Zěnme huì wàng? Hóngniáng, zhè dì yī bēi, shì nǐ de!
How could I forget? Hongniang, this first cup is yours!
- Cui Yingying 张生，你的心，不是只有天知道。现在，我也知道了。
Zhāng Shēng, nǐ de xīn, bú shì zhǐyǒu tiān zhīdào. Xiànzài, wǒ yě zhīdào le.
Zhang Sheng, heaven isn't the only one who knows your heart. Now I know it too.
- Narrator 到今天，谁帮别人找到了心上人，人们就叫谁“红娘”。
Dào jīntiān, shéi bāng biérén zhǎodào le xīnshàngrén, rénmen jiù jiào shéi “Hóngniáng”.
To this day, whoever helps someone find their sweetheart is called a “Hongniang.”
- Zhang Sheng 希望天下相爱的人，都能成为一家人！
Xīwàng tiānxià xiāng'ài de rén, dōu néng chéngwéi yì jiā rén!
May all who love each other under heaven become one family!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why won't Madam Cui let Zhang Sheng bow to her?
“卫尚书的女婿，我们崔家怎么敢让你拜！”
- How does Yingying greet Zhang Sheng?
“先生好。”
- Why does Abbot Faben say Zhang Sheng can't be Minister Wei's son-in-law?
“皇帝还让他做了河中最大的官……他要是卫尚书的女婿，怎么会回河中来呢？”
- What does Zheng Heng say about his flower ball story?
“花球的事，是我说着玩的！”
- Who does Zhang Sheng give the first cup of wedding wine to?
“红娘，这第一杯，是你的！”