Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 20 of 21
The Firefly and the Moon
萤火虫和月亮
Months late, Madam Cui's nephew Zheng Heng rides up to the temple by night and sends for Hongniang. He has come for his bride.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 一天晚上，郑恒来到普救寺。他不敢见老夫人，先叫来了红娘。
Yì tiān wǎnshang, Zhèng Héng láidào Pǔjiù Sì. Tā bù gǎn jiàn Lǎo fūrén, xiān jiào lái le Hóngniáng.
One evening, Zheng Heng came to Pujiu Temple. He didn't dare face Madam Cui, so first he sent for Hongniang.
- Hongniang 郑公子，你找红娘做什么？
Zhèng gōngzǐ, nǐ zhǎo Hóngniáng zuò shénme?
Master Zheng, what do you want with Hongniang?
- Zheng Heng 红娘，我是来结婚的。小姐的父亲早就说了，小姐是我的！
Hóngniáng, wǒ shì lái jiéhūn de. Xiǎojiě de fùqīn zǎo jiù shuō le, xiǎojiě shì wǒ de!
Hongniang, I've come to get married. The young lady's father said long ago that she's mine!
Chapter 20 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.
- Hongniang 你来晚了。老夫人已经说了，小姐要嫁给张生。
Nǐ lái wǎn le. Lǎo fūrén yǐjīng shuō le, xiǎojiě yào jià gěi Zhāng Shēng.
You're too late. Madam has already said Miss will marry Zhang Sheng.
- Zheng Heng 我在河中就听说了：强盗来了，一个书生救了你们。就是他？
Wǒ zài Hézhōng jiù tīngshuō le: qiángdào lái le, yí gè shūshēng jiù le nǐmen. Jiù shì tā?
I heard it in Hezhong: bandits came, and a scholar saved you all. Is that him?
- Hongniang 就是他！郑公子，强盗来的时候，你在哪儿？
Jiù shì tā! Zhèng gōngzǐ, qiángdào lái de shíhou, nǐ zài nǎr?
That's him! Master Zheng, when the bandits came, where were you?
- Zheng Heng 那个时候……我在京城，路太远了。
Nàge shíhou… wǒ zài jīngchéng, lù tài yuǎn le.
At that time... I was in the capital. It was too far.
- Hongniang 张生写了一封信，白马将军就来了，强盗都跑了！
Zhāng Shēng xiě le yì fēng xìn, Báimǎ jiāngjūn jiù lái le, qiángdào dōu pǎo le!
Zhang Sheng wrote one letter, the White Horse General came, and the bandits all ran away!
- Zheng Heng 一个没钱的书生，有什么好？我父亲是郑尚书！
Yí gè méi qián de shūshēng, yǒu shénme hǎo? Wǒ fùqīn shì Zhèng shàngshū!
A scholar without a penny, what's so good about him? My father was Minister Zheng!
- Hongniang 你跟张生比？你是萤火虫，他是天上的月亮！
Nǐ gēn Zhāng Shēng bǐ? Nǐ shì yínghuǒchóng, tā shì tiān shang de yuèliang!
You, next to Zhang Sheng? You're a firefly, and he's the moon in the sky!
- Zheng Heng 萤火虫？好！明天我就带人来，拉走小姐！
Yínghuǒchóng? Hǎo! Míngtiān wǒ jiù dài rén lái, lā zǒu xiǎojiě!
A firefly? Fine! Tomorrow I'll bring men and carry the young lady off!
- Hongniang 你敢！小姐永远不会嫁给你！
Nǐ gǎn! Xiǎojiě yǒngyuǎn bú huì jià gěi nǐ!
Don't you dare! Miss will never marry you!
- Narrator 第二天早上，郑恒去见老夫人。他还没说话，就哭了起来。
Dì èr tiān zǎoshang, Zhèng Héng qù jiàn Lǎo fūrén. Tā hái méi shuōhuà, jiù kū le qǐlai.
The next morning, Zheng Heng went to see Madam Cui. Before he'd said a word, he burst into tears.
- Zheng Heng 姑妈，孩子来晚了，您别怪我！
Gūmā, háizi lái wǎn le, nín bié guài wǒ!
Aunt, your boy is late. Please don't blame me!
- Madam Cui 孩子，别哭了。你怎么现在才来？
Háizi, bié kū le. Nǐ zěnme xiànzài cái lái?
Child, stop crying. Why have you only come now?
- Zheng Heng 姑妈，我在京城看了名单。新状元，是张君瑞吧？
Gūmā, wǒ zài jīngchéng kàn le míngdān. Xīn zhuàngyuan, shì Zhāng Jūnruì ba?
Aunt, I saw the list in the capital. The new top graduate is Zhang Junrui, isn't he?
- Madam Cui 是他。他是我们崔家的女婿。
Shì tā. Tā shì wǒmen Cuī jiā de nǚxu.
Yes, him. He is our Cui family's son-in-law.
- Zheng Heng 姑妈，他骗了您！
Gūmā, tā piàn le nín!
Aunt, he has fooled you!
- Zheng Heng 卫尚书有个十八岁的女儿，她在很高的楼上扔花球。
Wèi shàngshū yǒu gè shíbā suì de nǚ'ér, tā zài hěn gāo de lóushàng rēng huāqiú.
Minister Wei has a daughter of eighteen. She threw a flower ball from a very high tower.
- Zheng Heng 她扔的花球，正好打中了新状元，卫尚书家的人就拉他进去了！
Tā rēng de huāqiú, zhènghǎo dǎzhòng le xīn zhuàngyuan, Wèi shàngshū jiā de rén jiù lā tā jìnqu le!
The ball she threw hit the new top graduate, and Minister Wei's people dragged him inside!
- Zheng Heng 他大叫：“我有妻子了！”可是，他还是做了卫尚书的女婿。
Tā dà jiào: “Wǒ yǒu qīzi le!” Kěshì, tā háishi zuò le Wèi shàngshū de nǚxu.
He cried out, “I have a wife!” But he still became Minister Wei's son-in-law.
- Madam Cui 什么？那我的莺莺呢？
Shénme? Nà wǒ de Yīngyīng ne?
What? Then what about my Yingying?
- Zheng Heng 莺莺要是嫁给他，也只能做他的第二个妻子。
Yīngyīng yàoshi jià gěi tā, yě zhǐ néng zuò tā de dì èr gè qīzi.
If Yingying married him, she could only be his second wife.
- Hongniang 老夫人，他在骗您！张生不是这样的人！
Lǎo fūrén, tā zài piàn nín! Zhāng Shēng bú shì zhèyàng de rén!
Madam, he's lying to you! Zhang Sheng isn't that kind of man!
- Madam Cui 红娘，别说了！我早就知道，书生的话不能信！
Hóngniáng, bié shuō le! Wǒ zǎo jiù zhīdào, shūshēng de huà bù néng xìn!
Hongniang, enough! I always knew a scholar's word can't be trusted!
- Madam Cui 孩子，姑妈从小就喜欢你。明天，你来做新郎！
Háizi, gūmā cóngxiǎo jiù xǐhuan nǐ. Míngtiān, nǐ lái zuò xīnláng!
Child, your aunt has loved you since you were small. Tomorrow, you will come as the bridegroom!
- Hongniang 郑公子，你会后悔的！
Zhèng gōngzǐ, nǐ huì hòuhuǐ de!
Master Zheng, you'll be sorry!
- Zheng Heng 姑妈信了！明天，我就是新郎了！
Gūmā xìn le! Míngtiān, wǒ jiù shì xīnláng le!
Aunt believed it! Tomorrow, I'm the bridegroom!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Hongniang ask Zheng Heng about the bandits?
“强盗来的时候，你在哪儿？”
- What does Hongniang call Zheng Heng?
“你是萤火虫，他是天上的月亮！”
- In Zheng Heng's story, what hit the new top graduate?
“她扔的花球，正好打中了新状元”
- What does Zheng Heng say Yingying could be now?
“也只能做他的第二个妻子”
- What does Madam Cui tell Zheng Heng to do tomorrow?
“明天，你来做新郎！”