The Birthday Gift Heist · chapter 1 of 6
The Big Gift
十万贯的礼物
A powerful official needs a huge birthday gift delivered, and last year's was stolen. Tough Yang Zhi has a clever plan, but he feels eyes on the road.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 五月的大名府，太阳已经很毒了。梁中书坐在大厅里，正为一件大事发愁。
Wǔyuè de Dàmíngfǔ, tàiyáng yǐjīng hěndú le. Liáng Zhōngshū zuòzài dàtīng lǐ, zhèngwèi yíjiàn dàshì fāchóu.
In the city of Daming in May, the sun was already fierce. Liang Zhongshu sat in his great hall, worried about something very important.
- Liang Zhongshu 我岳父蔡太师，六月十五要过生日。这份生辰纲，一定要平平安安送到东京去！
Wǒ yuèfù Cài tàishī, liùyuè shíwǔ yào guòshēngrì. Zhèfèn shēngchéngāng, yídìng yào píngpíng'ān'ān sòngdào Dōngjīng qù!
My father-in-law, Grand Tutor Cai, has his birthday on the fifteenth of June. This birthday gift must reach the capital safe and sound!
- Liang Zhongshu 去年我送了十万贯的礼物，可是走到半路，就被强盗抢走了！今年不能再丢！
Qùnián wǒ sòng le shíwànguàn de lǐwù, kěshì zǒu dào bànlù, jiù bèi qiángdào qiǎngzǒule! Jīnnián bùnéng zài diū!
Last year I sent a gift worth a hundred thousand strings of coins, and robbers took it halfway there! It must not be lost again!
- Liang Zhongshu 我要找一个又聪明又硬的人。杨志！你过来，我有话对你说。
Wǒyào zhǎo yí gè yòu cōngming yòu yìng de rén. Yáng Zhì! Nǐ guòlái, wǒ yǒu huà duì nǐ shuō.
I need someone who is both clever and tough. Yang Zhi! Come here, I have something to say to you.
- Yang Zhi 大人，我在这儿。您请说。
Dàrén, wǒ zài zhèr. Nín qǐng shuō.
I'm here, my lord. Please speak.
- Liang Zhongshu 你带着这份生辰纲，送到东京去。要是送到了，我一定让你升官。
Nǐ dài zhe zhèfèn shēngchéngāng, sòngdào Dōngjīng qù. Yàoshi sòngdào le, wǒ yídìng ràng nǐ shēngguān.
Take this birthday gift to the capital. If it arrives, I'll surely get you promoted.
- Yang Zhi 大人，这一路上强盗很多，我不敢说一定能送到。请您让我想一想。
Dàrén, zhè yílùshàng qiángdào hěnduō, wǒ bùgǎn shuō yídìng néng sòngdào. Qǐng nín ràng wǒ xiǎngyìxiǎng.
My lord, the road is full of robbers, and I can't promise it will arrive. Please let me think.
- Liang Zhongshu 什么？你怕了吗？我可以给你一队军人，一路上保护你！
Shénme? Nǐ pà le ma? Wǒ kěyǐ gěi nǐ yíduì jūnrén, yílùshàng bǎohù nǐ!
What? Are you afraid? I can give you a squad of soldiers to protect you all the way!
- Yang Zhi 不用，大人。人越多，越容易被人注意。强盗一看就知道，车里有很多宝贝。
Búyòng, dàrén. Rényuè duō, yuè róngyì bèi rén zhùyì. Qiángdào yíkàn jiù zhīdào, chēlǐ yǒu hěnduō bǎobèi.
No, my lord. The more people, the more attention we draw. Robbers would take one look and know there's a lot of treasure.
- Liang Zhongshu 有道理。那你说，我们该怎么办？
Yǒu dàolǐ. Nà nǐ shuō, wǒmen gāi zěnmebàn?
That makes sense. Then tell me, what should we do?
- Yang Zhi 把礼物分成十一担，装成商人的货。我扮成商人，挑夫穿旧衣服，路上也不打旗子。
Bǎ lǐwù fēnchéng shíyìdān, zhuāng chéng shāngrén de huò. Wǒ bànchéng shāngrén, tiāofū chuān jiùyīfu, lùshàng yě bù dǎ qízi.
Split the gift into eleven loads and disguise them as a merchant's goods. I'll dress as a merchant, the porters will wear old clothes, and we'll carry no flags.
- Liang Zhongshu 哈哈！好主意！这样一来，你们不像官家的人，倒像一队做生意的人。
Hāhā! Hǎo zhǔyì! Zhèyàngyìlái, nǐmen búxiàng guānjiā de rén, dàoxiàng yíduì zuòshēngyì de rén.
Ha ha! Good idea! That way you won't look like officials, but like people doing business.
- Old Steward 大人，我是老都管，我也得一起去。杨志要是出了错，我回来好告诉夫人。
Dàrén, wǒ shì lǎodōuguǎn, wǒ yě dé yìqǐ qù. Yáng Zhì yàoshi chū le cuò, wǒ huílái hǎo gàosu fūrén.
My lord, I'm the old steward, so I must go too. If Yang Zhi makes a mistake, I can report it to Madam when I return.
- Yang Zhi 老都管一起去，当然好。不过路上，我说走就走，我说停就停。
Lǎodōuguǎn yìqǐ qù, dāngrán hǎo. Búguò lùshàng, wǒ shuōzǒujiùzǒu, wǒ shuō tíng jiù tíng.
Old Steward coming along is fine. But on the road, we go when I say go and stop when I say stop.
- Old Steward 什么？你不过是一个提辖，敢这样对我说话？
Shénme? Nǐ búguò shì yí gè tíxiá, gǎn zhèyàng duì wǒ shuōhuà?
What? You're only an officer, and you dare talk to me like that?
- Liang Zhongshu 好了！老都管，杨志是队长。路上的事，你都要听他的。
Hǎo le! Lǎodōuguǎn, Yáng Zhì shì duìzhǎng. Lùshàng de shì, nǐ dōu yào tīng tā de.
Enough! Old Steward, Yang Zhi is the leader. On the road, you do as he says.
- Old Steward 是，大人。我……听就是了。
Shì, dàrén. Wǒ… Tīng jiùshì le.
Yes, my lord. I'll... do as he says.
- Liang Zhongshu 杨志，你给我记住。礼物要是丢了，你也不用回来了。
Yáng Zhì, nǐ gěi wǒ jìzhù. Lǐwù yàoshi diū le, nǐ yě búyòng huílái le.
Yang Zhi, remember this. If the gift is lost, you needn't come back either.
- Yang Zhi 是，大人。我用我的命保护它。
Shì, dàrén. Wǒyòng wǒ de mìng bǎohù tā.
Yes, my lord. I'll protect it with my life.
- Yang Zhi 十万贯……去年丢了，今年，我一步也不能错。
Shíwànguàn… Qùnián diū le, jīnnián, wǒ yíbù yě bùnéng cuò.
A hundred thousand strings... It was lost last year. This year, I can't make one wrong step.
- Narrator 第二天，天还没有亮，十一个挑夫已经站在大名府的城门口。
Dì'èrtiān, tiān hái méiyǒu liàng, shíyí gè tiāofū yǐjīng zhàn zài Dàmíngfǔ de chéngménkǒu.
The next day, before dawn, eleven porters were already standing at the gate of Daming.
- Porter 杨大人，天还是黑的，我们就要走了吗？
Yángdàrén, tiān háishi hēi de, wǒmen jiùyào zǒu le ma?
Master Yang, it's still dark. We're leaving already?
- Yang Zhi 对。天热以前，我们要多走几里路。
Duì. Tiānrè yǐqián, wǒmen yào duō zǒu jǐlǐ lù.
Yes. Before the heat comes, we must walk as far as we can.
- Porter 哎呀，这担子好重啊！里面到底装的是什么宝贝？
Āiyā, zhè dànzi hǎozhòng a! Lǐmiàn dàodǐ zhuāng de shì shénme bǎobèi?
Ow, this load is heavy! What kind of treasure is in here?
- Yang Zhi 别问。你只要记住，这是你这辈子挑过的最重的一担。
Biéwèn. Nǐ zhǐyào jìzhù, zhè shì nǐ zhèbèizi tiāoguò de zuìzhòng de yìdān.
Don't ask. Just remember this is the heaviest load you'll ever carry.
- Old Steward 挑夫们，走吧走吧！等太阳一出来，你们就知道杨大人有多厉害了。
Tiāofū men, zǒu ba zǒu ba! Děng tàiyáng yì chūlái, nǐmen jiù zhīdào yángdàrén yǒu duō lìhài le.
Porters, off you go! Once the sun is up, you'll see just how tough Master Yang is.
- Porter 老都管，他的脾气是不是很坏？
Lǎodōuguǎn, tā de píqì shìbúshì hěnhuài?
Old Steward, does he have a very bad temper?
- Old Steward 你说呢？他脸上的青记，就是他脾气的颜色。
Nǐ shuō ne? Tā liǎnshàng de qīngjì, jiùshì tā píqì de yánsè.
What do you think? The blue mark on his face is the color of his temper.
- Yang Zhi 是谁在说话？还不快走！
Shì shuí zài shuōhuà? Hái búkuài zǒu!
Who's talking? Get moving!
- Porter 是！是！我们走，我们马上走！
Shì! Shì! Wǒmen zǒu, wǒmen mǎshàng zǒu!
Yes! Yes! We're going, going right now!
- Old Steward 杨提辖，你别这么凶嘛。谁会来抢我们这些穷商人呢？
Yáng tíxiá, nǐbié zhème xiōngma. Shuí huì lái qiǎng wǒmen zhèxiē qióng shāngrén ne?
Officer Yang, don't be so fierce. Who would rob poor merchants like us?
- Yang Zhi 老都管，你看那边的草。没有风，草却在动。
Lǎodōuguǎn, nǐ kàn nàbiān de cǎo. Méiyǒu fēng, cǎo què zài dòng.
Old Steward, look at the grass over there. There's no wind, yet the grass is moving.
- Old Steward 杨志，你在说什么？我什么也没看见。
Yáng Zhì, nǐ zài shuō shénme? Wǒ shénme yě méi kànjiàn.
Yang Zhi, what are you talking about? I don't see anything.
- Yang Zhi 但愿是我想多了。可是我有一种感觉，有人已经在等我们了。
Dànyuàn shì wǒ xiǎng duō le. Kěshì wǒ yǒu yìzhǒng gǎnjué, yǒurén yǐjīng zài děng wǒmen le.
I hope I'm just imagining it. But I have a feeling someone is already waiting for us.
What changed in the story?
- Why does Liang Zhongshu need the gift delivered?
“我岳父蔡太师，六月十五要过生日。”
- Why does Yang Zhi refuse the squad of soldiers?
“人越多，越容易被人注意。”
- What is Yang Zhi's clever plan?
“装成商人的货。”
- What does Liang warn Yang Zhi about?
“礼物要是丢了，你也不用回来了。”
- What does Yang Zhi notice on the road?
“没有风，草却在动。”