Romance of the Western Chamber · chapter 14 of 21
Will She Come?
她会来吗
That same night, Yingying says she would rather go to bed, Hongniang won't let her break her word twice, and Zhang Sheng waits by a half-open door.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，月亮出来了。西厢里，莺莺和红娘还没有睡。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, yuèliang chūlai le. Xīxiāng li, Yīngyīng hé Hóngniáng hái méiyǒu shuì.
That night, the moon came up. In the Western Chamber, Yingying and Hongniang were not yet asleep.
- Cui Yingying 红娘，我好累啊。今天晚上，我想早一点儿睡。
Hóngniáng, wǒ hǎo lèi a. Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ xiǎng zǎo yìdiǎnr shuì.
Hongniang, I'm so tired. Tonight I want to go to bed a little early.
- Hongniang 睡？小姐，你的诗里不是说，今天晚上要去看他吗？
Shuì? Xiǎojiě, nǐ de shī li bú shì shuō, jīntiān wǎnshang yào qù kàn tā ma?
Bed? Miss, didn't your poem say you'd go to see him tonight?
Chapter 14 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 那首诗，是我写着玩的。
Nà shǒu shī, shì wǒ xiězhe wán de.
That poem? I only wrote it for fun.
- Hongniang 写着玩？昨天，你叫他跳墙，晚上又说他是坏人。
Xiězhe wán? Zuótiān, nǐ jiào tā tiào qiáng, wǎnshang yòu shuō tā shì huàirén.
For fun? Yesterday you told him to jump the wall, and that night you called him a bad man.
- Cui Yingying 诗上没有写“跳墙”两个字啊。
Shī shang méiyǒu xiě “tiào qiáng” liǎng gè zì a.
The poem never had the words “jump the wall” in it.
- Hongniang 小姐！你要是再不去，他真的会死的！
Xiǎojiě! Nǐ yàoshi zài bú qù, tā zhēn de huì sǐ de!
Miss! If you don't go this time, he really will die!
- Cui Yingying 可是，我娘……
Kěshì, wǒ niáng…
But my mother...
- Hongniang 老夫人已经睡了。走吧，别让那个傻书生再等了！
Lǎo fūrén yǐjīng shuì le. Zǒu ba, bié ràng nàge shǎ shūshēng zài děng le!
Madam's already asleep. Come on, don't make that silly scholar wait any longer!
- Cui Yingying 红娘，别拉我！我自己会走。
Hóngniáng, bié lā wǒ! Wǒ zìjǐ huì zǒu.
Hongniang, don't pull me! I can walk by myself.
- Hongniang 你自己走？那就走快一点儿！
Nǐ zìjǐ zǒu? Nà jiù zǒu kuài yìdiǎnr!
By yourself? Then walk a little faster!
- Zhang Sheng “待月西厢下，迎风户半开。”门，我开了一半。
“Dài yuè Xīxiāng xià, yíngfēng hù bàn kāi.” Mén, wǒ kāi le yíbàn.
“Wait for the moon by the Western Chamber; the door stands half open to the breeze.” I've left my door half open.
- Zhang Sheng 月亮这么高了，她还不来。她又在跟我开玩笑吗？
Yuèliang zhème gāo le, tā hái bù lái. Tā yòu zài gēn wǒ kāi wánxiào ma?
The moon's this high, and she still hasn't come. Is she playing a joke on me again?
- Zhang Sheng 月亮，你看见她了吗？她再不来，我就要死在这个门口了！
Yuèliang, nǐ kànjiàn tā le ma? Tā zài bù lái, wǒ jiù yào sǐ zài zhège ménkǒu le!
Moon, have you seen her? If she doesn't come soon, I'll die right here in this doorway!
- Hongniang 傻书生，别站在门口了！被子你拿去，小姐要进来了！
Shǎ shūshēng, bié zhàn zài ménkǒu le! Bèizi nǐ ná qù, xiǎojiě yào jìnlai le!
Silly scholar, stop standing in the doorway! Take the bedding. Miss is coming in!
- Zhang Sheng 你说什么？谁要进来？
Nǐ shuō shénme? Shéi yào jìnlai?
What did you say? Who's coming in?
- Hongniang 小姐，你还站着干什么？快进去吧！
Xiǎojiě, nǐ hái zhànzhe gàn shénme? Kuài jìnqu ba!
Miss, what are you standing there for? Go on in!
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，你真的来了。我不是在梦里吧？
Xiǎojiě, nǐ zhēn de lái le. Wǒ bú shì zài mèng li ba?
Miss, you really came. I'm not dreaming, am I?
- Cui Yingying 不是梦。张生，我这一辈子，都给你了。
Bú shì mèng. Zhāng Shēng, wǒ zhè yíbèizi, dōu gěi nǐ le.
It's not a dream. Zhang Sheng, I've given you my whole life.
- Cui Yingying 以后，你永远不要离开我。
Yǐhòu, nǐ yǒngyuǎn bú yào líkāi wǒ.
From now on, you must never leave me.
- Zhang Sheng 小姐，我对天说：我这一辈子，只爱你一个人。我的心，只有天知道！
Xiǎojiě, wǒ duì tiān shuō: wǒ zhè yíbèizi, zhǐ ài nǐ yí gè rén. Wǒ de xīn, zhǐyǒu tiān zhīdào!
Miss, I swear before heaven: as long as I live, I'll love only you. Heaven alone knows my heart!
- Narrator 门轻轻地关上了。
Mén qīngqīng de guān shàng le.
The door closed softly.
- Hongniang 好吧。你们在里边，红娘就坐在外边看月亮。
Hǎo ba. Nǐmen zài lǐbian, Hóngniáng jiù zuò zài wàibian kàn yuèliang.
Fine. You two stay inside, and Hongniang will sit out here and watch the moon.
- Hongniang 地上好冷啊！门里的人不冷，门外的红娘冷！
Dì shang hǎo lěng a! Mén li de rén bù lěng, mén wài de Hóngniáng lěng!
The ground is so cold! The two inside aren't cold. Hongniang out here is!
- Hongniang 傻书生的病啊，我看，今天晚上就会好了。
Shǎ shūshēng de bìng a, wǒ kàn, jīntiān wǎnshang jiù huì hǎo le.
That silly scholar's illness? If you ask me, it'll be cured tonight.
- Narrator 门外，月亮从东边走到了西边。
Mén wài, yuèliang cóng dōngbian zǒu dào le xībian.
Outside the door, the moon moved from the east across to the west.
- Hongniang 红娘的脚都冷了，他们的话还没说完？
Hóngniáng de jiǎo dōu lěng le, tāmen de huà hái méi shuō wán?
Hongniang's feet are frozen, and they still haven't finished talking?
- Hongniang 小姐！天快亮了！老夫人要是看见你床上没人……！
Xiǎojiě! Tiān kuài liàng le! Lǎo fūrén yàoshi kànjiàn nǐ chuáng shang méi rén…!
Miss! It's nearly light! If Madam finds your bed empty...!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Yingying say she wants to do tonight?
“今天晚上，我想早一点儿睡”
- Why does Hongniang say Yingying must go to Zhang Sheng?
“你要是再不去，他真的会死的”
- What does Hongniang tell Zhang Sheng to take?
“被子你拿去”
- What does Yingying ask of Zhang Sheng?
“以后，你永远不要离开我”
- Why does Hongniang knock before dawn?
“老夫人要是看见你床上没人”