Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 10 of 21
The Window Paper
窗户纸
Yingying can't go to the study herself, and Hongniang won't risk it, so a Chief Minister's daughter must pay her maid a price no one has ever paid.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 几天以后的一个早上，西厢里。
Jǐ tiān yǐhòu de yí gè zǎoshang, Xīxiāng li.
A few days later, one morning, in the Western Chamber.
- Cui Yingying 红娘，长老说，张生从弹琴的那天晚上就病了。
Hóngniáng, zhǎnglǎo shuō, Zhāng Shēng cóng tán qín de nà tiān wǎnshang jiù bìng le.
Hongniang, the abbot says Zhang Sheng has been ill ever since the night he played the qin.
- Hongniang 原来他没走，是病了！这几天我天天跟着你，没时间去看他。
Yuánlái tā méi zǒu, shì bìng le! Zhè jǐ tiān wǒ tiāntiān gēnzhe nǐ, méi shíjiān qù kàn tā.
So he never left, he's ill! These past few days I've been at your side all day, with no time to go and see him.
Chapter 10 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.
- Cui Yingying 你去书房看看他吧。告诉他，别走。
Nǐ qù shūfáng kànkan tā ba. Gàosu tā, bié zǒu.
Go to the study and see him. Tell him not to leave.
- Hongniang 我不去，要是老夫人知道了，我就完了。
Wǒ bú qù, yàoshi Lǎo fūrén zhīdào le, wǒ jiù wán le.
I won't go. If Madam finds out, I'm done for.
- Cui Yingying 好红娘，我拜你两拜，你就去吧。
Hǎo Hóngniáng, wǒ bài nǐ liǎng bài, nǐ jiù qù ba.
Dear Hongniang, I'll bow to you twice. Please, just go.
- Hongniang 天哪，小姐拜我，天下哪有这样的事！好，我去。
Tiān na, xiǎojiě bài wǒ, tiānxià nǎ yǒu zhèyàng de shì! Hǎo, wǒ qù.
Heavens, Miss bowing to me! Who under heaven ever heard of such a thing? All right, I'll go.
- Narrator 红娘到了书房外边。门关着，窗户是纸的。
Hóngniáng dào le shūfáng wàibian. Mén guānzhe, chuānghu shì zhǐ de.
Hongniang arrived outside the study. The door was shut, and the window was made of paper.
- Hongniang 好，开了一个小口。我看看，他在做什么。
Hǎo, kāi le yí gè xiǎo kǒu. Wǒ kànkan, tā zài zuò shénme.
There, a little hole. Let me see what he's doing.
- Hongniang 他在床上，书上都是眼泪。这个傻书生，真是可怜。
Tā zài chuáng shang, shū shang dōu shì yǎnlèi. Zhège shǎ shūshēng, zhēn shì kělián.
He's in bed, and his books are wet with tears. This silly scholar, he really is a sorry sight.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，你为什么不来看我？我要死了。
Xiǎojiě, nǐ wèishénme bù lái kàn wǒ? Wǒ yào sǐ le.
Miss, why don't you come and see me? I'm going to die.
- Hongniang 张生，快开门，是我。
Zhāng Shēng, kuài kāimén, shì wǒ.
Zhang Sheng, open the door, quick. It's me.
- Zhang Sheng 红娘，你来了！是小姐让你来的吗？
Hóngniáng, nǐ lái le! Shì xiǎojiě ràng nǐ lái de ma?
Hongniang, you came! Did the young lady send you?
- Hongniang 小姐听说你病了，让我来看看你。她还让我告诉你：别走。
Xiǎojiě tīngshuō nǐ bìng le, ràng wǒ lái kànkan nǐ. Tā hái ràng wǒ gàosu nǐ: bié zǒu.
Miss heard you were ill and sent me to see you. And she told me to tell you: don't leave.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐让我别走？我的病，好了一半！
Xiǎojiě ràng wǒ bié zǒu? Wǒ de bìng, hǎo le yíbàn!
The young lady wants me to stay? I'm half cured already!
- Hongniang 好了一半？那你怎么还在床上？
Hǎo le yíbàn? Nà nǐ zěnme hái zài chuáng shang?
Half cured? Then why are you still in bed?
- Zhang Sheng 还有一半，要看小姐了。
Hái yǒu yíbàn, yào kàn xiǎojiě le.
The other half is up to the young lady.
- Zhang Sheng 红娘，我写了一封信。你帮我拿给小姐，好吗？
Hóngniáng, wǒ xiě le yì fēng xìn. Nǐ bāng wǒ ná gěi xiǎojiě, hǎo ma?
Hongniang, I've written a letter. Will you take it to the young lady for me?
- Hongniang 又要我做事？老夫人看见了，我怎么办？
Yòu yào wǒ zuò shì? Lǎo fūrén kànjiàn le, wǒ zěnme bàn?
Another job for me? What do I do if Madam sees?
- Zhang Sheng 你帮我这一次，以后我给你金子！
Nǐ bāng wǒ zhè yí cì, yǐhòu wǒ gěi nǐ jīnzi!
Help me this once, and one day I'll give you gold!
- Hongniang 金子？你以为我来这儿，是要你的钱吗？
Jīnzi? Nǐ yǐwéi wǒ lái zhèr, shì yào nǐ de qián ma?
Gold? You think I came here for your money?
- Hongniang 我是看你可怜，才来的！你的金子，自己留着吧。
Wǒ shì kàn nǐ kělián, cái lái de! Nǐ de jīnzi, zìjǐ liúzhe ba.
I came because I felt sorry for you! Keep your gold.
- Zhang Sheng 是我说错了。红娘，你别生气。
Shì wǒ shuō cuò le. Hóngniáng, nǐ bié shēngqì.
I said the wrong thing. Hongniang, don't be angry.
- Hongniang 信上写了什么，又是诗吗？我不认识字，你读给我听。
Xìn shang xiě le shénme, yòu shì shī ma? Wǒ bú rènshi zì, nǐ dú gěi wǒ tīng.
What does the letter say? Another poem? I can't read, so read it to me.
- Zhang Sheng 你听：“小姐，老夫人说话不算话。我想你，想得生病了。”
Nǐ tīng: “Xiǎojiě, Lǎo fūrén shuōhuà bú suànhuà. Wǒ xiǎng nǐ, xiǎng de shēngbìng le.”
Listen: “Miss, Madam has broken her word. I've missed you so much that I've fallen ill.”
- Zhang Sheng “我的心，你知道。只要你回我一句话，我的病就好了。”
“Wǒ de xīn, nǐ zhīdào. Zhǐyào nǐ huí wǒ yí jù huà, wǒ de bìng jiù hǎo le.”
“You know my heart. Send me just one word back, and I'll be well again.”
- Hongniang 好吧，我拿去。要是小姐把它烧了，可不是我的错！
Hǎo ba, wǒ ná qù. Yàoshi xiǎojiě bǎ tā shāo le, kě bú shì wǒ de cuò!
Fine, I'll take it. But if Miss burns it, that's not my fault!
- Zhang Sheng 不会的！这封信，一定会让我和小姐在一起！
Bú huì de! Zhè fēng xìn, yídìng huì ràng wǒ hé xiǎojiě zài yìqǐ!
She won't! This letter is sure to bring the young lady and me together!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the abbot say about Zhang Sheng?
“张生从弹琴的那天晚上就病了”
- Why won't Hongniang go to the study at first?
“要是老夫人知道了，我就完了”
- What does Yingying do to make Hongniang go?
“我拜你两拜，你就去吧”
- Why does Hongniang get angry with Zhang Sheng?
“我给你金子……你以为我来这儿，是要你的钱吗”
- What does Zhang Sheng's letter ask Yingying for?
“只要你回我一句话，我的病就好了”