Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 17 of 21
The Grass Bridge Inn
草桥店
At the Grass Bridge Inn, Zhang Sheng won't touch his supper and stays up talking to the moon. Then, at midnight, someone outside his door calls his name.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，张生和琴童到了草桥店，离普救寺三十里。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Zhāng Shēng hé Qíntóng dào le Cǎoqiáo Diàn, lí Pǔjiù Sì sānshí lǐ.
That night, Zhang Sheng and Qintong reached the Grass Bridge Inn, thirty li from Pujiu Temple.
- Inn boy 公子，里边请！我们店里的面，又热又好吃！
Gōngzǐ, lǐbian qǐng! Wǒmen diàn li de miàn, yòu rè yòu hǎochī!
This way, sir! Our noodles are hot and delicious!
- Zhang Sheng 我不吃了。我的心，还在长亭。
Wǒ bù chī le. Wǒ de xīn, hái zài Chángtíng.
I won't eat. My heart is still at the Long Pavilion.
Chapter 17 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.
- Inn boy 心在长亭？那我把面也送到长亭去吧？
Xīn zài Chángtíng? Nà wǒ bǎ miàn yě sòng dào Chángtíng qù ba?
Your heart's at the Long Pavilion? Then shall I send your noodles there too?
- Qintong 公子，马都吃两次了，您怎么一口都不吃？
Gōngzǐ, mǎ dōu chī liǎng cì le, nín zěnme yì kǒu dōu bù chī?
Young master, the horse has eaten twice already. Why won't you take a single bite?
- Inn boy 看您带着这么多书，是去京城考试的吧？
Kàn nín dàizhe zhème duō shū, shì qù jīngchéng kǎoshì de ba?
With all these books, you must be on your way to the capital for the exams, right?
- Qintong 对！我们公子，是去考状元的！
Duì! Wǒmen gōngzǐ, shì qù kǎo zhuàngyuan de!
That's right! My young master is off to become the top graduate!
- Inn boy 那以后做了官，别忘了我们草桥店啊！
Nà yǐhòu zuò le guān, bié wàng le wǒmen Cǎoqiáo Diàn a!
Then when you're an official one day, don't forget our Grass Bridge Inn!
- Qintong 公子，被子放好了。您睡床上，我睡门口。
Gōngzǐ, bèizi fàng hǎo le. Nín shuì chuáng shang, wǒ shuì ménkǒu.
Young master, your bedding is ready. You take the bed, and I'll sleep by the door.
- Zhang Sheng 琴童，你先睡吧。我再跟月亮说几句话。
Qíntóng, nǐ xiān shuì ba. Wǒ zài gēn yuèliang shuō jǐ jù huà.
Qintong, you go to sleep first. I want a few more words with the moon.
- Qintong 好，您说吧。有我在门口，谁也进不来！
Hǎo, nín shuō ba. Yǒu wǒ zài ménkǒu, shéi yě jìn bu lái!
All right, go ahead and talk. With me at the door, nobody gets in!
- Narrator 半夜，张生好像听见门外有人叫他。
Bànyè, Zhāng Shēng hǎoxiàng tīngjiàn mén wài yǒu rén jiào tā.
At midnight, Zhang Sheng seemed to hear someone outside the door calling him.
- Cui Yingying 张生，是我。快开门。
Zhāng Shēng, shì wǒ. Kuài kāi mén.
Zhang Sheng, it's me. Open the door, quick.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐？这么晚了，你怎么来了？
Xiǎojiě? Zhème wǎn le, nǐ zěnme lái le?
Miss? It's so late. What are you doing here?
- Cui Yingying 娘睡了，我就偷偷跑出来了。
Niáng shuì le, wǒ jiù tōutōu pǎo chūlai le.
Mother fell asleep, so I slipped out.
- Zhang Sheng 这么远的路，这么冷的天，你一个人跑来的？
Zhème yuǎn de lù, zhème lěng de tiān, nǐ yí gè rén pǎo lái de?
All this way, on a night this cold, you ran here by yourself?
- Cui Yingying 冷，我不怕。我怕的是，你走了，就不回来了。
Lěng, wǒ bú pà. Wǒ pà de shì, nǐ zǒu le, jiù bù huílai le.
I'm not afraid of the cold. What I'm afraid of is that you'll go and never come back.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，老夫人知道了，会怪你的！
Xiǎojiě, Lǎo fūrén zhīdào le, huì guài nǐ de!
Miss, when Madam finds out, she'll blame you!
- Cui Yingying 要怪，就让娘怪吧。张生，我跟你一起去京城。
Yào guài, jiù ràng niáng guài ba. Zhāng Shēng, wǒ gēn nǐ yìqǐ qù jīngchéng.
Then let Mother blame me. Zhang Sheng, I'm going to the capital with you.
- Soldier 开门！我们看见一个女人过了河，跑到这里来了！
Kāi mén! Wǒmen kànjiàn yí gè nǚrén guò le hé, pǎo dào zhèlǐ lái le!
Open up! We saw a woman cross the river and run in here!
- Zhang Sheng 是兵！小姐别怕，我出去跟他们说！
Shì bīng! Xiǎojiě bié pà, wǒ chūqu gēn tāmen shuō!
Soldiers! Don't be afraid, Miss. I'll go out and talk to them!
- Cui Yingying 张生，你别出去。我是崔相国的女儿，谁敢拉我？
Zhāng Shēng, nǐ bié chūqu. Wǒ shì Cuī xiàngguó de nǚ'ér, shéi gǎn lā wǒ?
Zhang Sheng, don't go out. I'm Chief Minister Cui's daughter. Who would dare lay a hand on me?
- Soldier 就是这个女人！拉走！
Jiù shì zhège nǚrén! Lā zǒu!
That's the woman! Drag her off!
- Cui Yingying 张生，别忘了我！
Zhāng Shēng, bié wàng le wǒ!
Zhang Sheng, don't forget me!
- Zhang Sheng 小姐！你们放开她！
Xiǎojiě! Nǐmen fàngkāi tā!
Miss! Let her go!
- Qintong 公子，快醒一醒！您怎么了？
Gōngzǐ, kuài xǐng yi xǐng! Nín zěnme le?
Young master, wake up! What's wrong?
- Zhang Sheng 小姐呢？那些兵呢？
Xiǎojiě ne? Nàxiē bīng ne?
Where's the young lady? Where are the soldiers?
- Qintong 什么兵？公子，您醒了吗？我就睡在门口，谁也没进来！
Shénme bīng? Gōngzǐ, nín xǐng le ma? Wǒ jiù shuì zài ménkǒu, shéi yě méi jìnlai!
What soldiers? Young master, are you awake? I slept right by the door, and nobody came in!
- Narrator 天快亮了。张生走到门外，地上白白的，月亮也快没了。
Tiān kuài liàng le. Zhāng Shēng zǒu dào mén wài, dì shang báibái de, yuèliang yě kuài méi le.
Dawn was coming. Zhang Sheng stepped outside. The ground was white with frost, and the moon was almost gone.
- Zhang Sheng 原来是一个梦……可是我的心，为什么还跳得这么快？小姐，我还能再见到你吗？
Yuánlái shì yí gè mèng… kěshì wǒ de xīn, wèishénme hái tiào de zhème kuài? Xiǎojiě, wǒ hái néng zài jiàndào nǐ ma?
So it was only a dream... but why is my heart still pounding? Miss, will I ever see you again?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why won't Zhang Sheng eat the inn boy's noodles?
“我的心，还在长亭”
- What does the inn boy ask Zhang Sheng not to forget?
“以后做了官，别忘了我们草桥店”
- How does Yingying say she got away?
“娘睡了，我就偷偷跑出来了”
- What does Yingying tell Zhang Sheng when the soldiers come?
“张生，你别出去。我是崔相国的女儿，谁敢拉我”
- What does Qintong say when Zhang Sheng asks about the soldiers?
“我就睡在门口，谁也没进来”