The White Snake · chapter 12 of 25
Give Me Back My Husband
还我官人
Bai and Xiaoqing sail to Jinshan to ask nicely for Xu, but Fahai has only one answer, and Bai's patience is wearing thin.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 两天以后，天快亮的时候，白素贞和小青坐着小船，来到了长江边的金山下。
Liǎng tiān yǐhòu, tiān kuài liàng de shíhou, Bái Sùzhēn hé Xiǎoqīng zuòzhe xiǎo chuán, láidào le Cháng Jiāng biān de Jīnshān xià.
Two days later, just before dawn, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing came by small boat to the foot of Jinshan, on the bank of the Yangtze.
- Xiaoqing 小姐，你看那座山！金山寺就在山上。
Xiǎojiě, nǐ kàn nà zuò shān! Jīnshān Sì jiù zài shān shàng.
Miss, look at that hill! Jinshan Temple is right on top of it.
- Bai Suzhen 小青，到了金山寺，我们先说好话，不要打。
Xiǎoqīng, dào le Jīnshān Sì, wǒmen xiān shuō hǎohuà, bú yào dǎ.
Xiaoqing, when we get to the temple, we ask nicely first. No fighting.
Chapter 12 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of The White Snake (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.
- Xiaoqing 说好话？好，小青最会说好话了！
Shuō hǎohuà? Hǎo, Xiǎoqīng zuì huì shuō hǎohuà le!
Ask nicely? Fine. Nobody asks more nicely than Xiaoqing!
- Xiaoqing 喂！和尚们，快出来！许官人在哪儿？
Wèi! Héshangmen, kuài chūlái! Xǔ guānrén zài nǎr?
Hey! You monks, get out here! Where's Mr. Xu?
- Bai Suzhen 小青！这就是你的好话？
Xiǎoqīng! Zhè jiù shì nǐ de hǎohuà?
Xiaoqing! Is that what you call asking nicely?
- Fahai 白蛇，你来了。我就知道你会来。
Báishé, nǐ lái le. Wǒ jiù zhīdào nǐ huì lái.
White snake, you have come. I knew you would.
- Bai Suzhen 师父，我是许仙的妻子。我来接我丈夫回家，请您让他出来。
Shīfu, wǒ shì Xǔ Xiān de qīzi. Wǒ lái jiē wǒ zhàngfu huí jiā, qǐng nín ràng tā chūlái.
Master, I am Xu Xian's wife. I have come to take my husband home. Please let him come out.
- Fahai 许仙不回去了。他要留在金山寺，当和尚。
Xǔ Xiān bù huíqu le. Tā yào liú zài Jīnshān Sì, dāng héshang.
Xu Xian is not going back. He will stay at Jinshan Temple and become a monk.
- Bai Suzhen 当和尚？不会的。他答应过我，烧了香就回家。
Dāng héshang? Bú huì de. Tā dāying guo wǒ, shāo le xiāng jiù huí jiā.
Become a monk? He wouldn't. He promised me he'd come home once the incense was burned.
- Bai Suzhen 他要当和尚，也应该先回家，自己跟我说啊。
Tā yào dāng héshang, yě yīnggāi xiān huí jiā, zìjǐ gēn wǒ shuō a.
If he wants to be a monk, he should come home first and tell me so himself.
- Fahai 妖怪，回你的峨眉山去吧。
Yāoguài, huí nǐ de Éméi Shān qù ba.
Demon, go back to your Mount Emei.
- Bai Suzhen 师父，他家就他一个儿子。他当了和尚，以后谁去上坟？
Shīfu, tā jiā jiù tā yí gè érzi. Tā dāng le héshang, yǐhòu shéi qù shàngfén?
Master, he is his family's only son. If he becomes a monk, who will look after the family graves?
- Fahai 妖怪的话，我不听。回你的山上去。
Yāoguài de huà, wǒ bù tīng. Huí nǐ de shān shàng qù.
I do not listen to a demon. Go back to your mountain.
- Bai Suzhen 和尚应该做好事。让我们一家人分开，是好事吗？
Héshang yīnggāi zuò hǎoshì. Ràng wǒmen yì jiā rén fēnkāi, shì hǎoshì ma?
A monk should do good. Is it good to break a family apart?
- Fahai 我还是那句话：回峨眉山去。
Wǒ háishi nà jù huà: huí Éméi Shān qù.
My answer is the same: go back to Mount Emei.
- Xiaoqing 小姐，别求他了！小青最恨这样的和尚了！
Xiǎojiě, bié qiú tā le! Xiǎoqīng zuì hèn zhèyàng de héshang le!
Miss, stop begging him! Xiaoqing hates monks like him more than anything!
- Bai Suzhen 法海，我求了你三次，你一句也不听。今天，你一定要还我官人！
Fǎhǎi, wǒ qiú le nǐ sān cì, nǐ yí jù yě bù tīng. Jīntiān, nǐ yídìng yào huán wǒ guānrén!
Fahai, I have begged you three times, and you would not hear one word. Today you will give him back to me!
- Fahai 要打吗？弟子们，快来抓这两个妖怪！
Yào dǎ ma? Dìzǐmen, kuài lái zhuā zhè liǎng gè yāoguài!
You want a fight? My disciples, come and seize these two demons!
- Bai Suzhen 小青，拿剑！
Xiǎoqīng, ná jiàn!
Xiaoqing, your sword!
- Xiaoqing 好！小青早就想打这些和尚了！
Hǎo! Xiǎoqīng zǎo jiù xiǎng dǎ zhèxiē héshang le!
Yes! Xiaoqing's been itching to fight these monks!
- Narrator 两个人拿着剑，一起向法海打去。法海拿起禅杖，和尚们也都跑来了。
Liǎng gè rén názhe jiàn, yìqǐ xiàng Fǎhǎi dǎ qù. Fǎhǎi ná qǐ chánzhàng, héshangmen yě dōu pǎo lái le.
The two of them went for Fahai with their swords. Fahai took up his staff, and the monks all came running.
- Xiaoqing 来啊！你们一起来，小青也不怕！
Lái a! Nǐmen yìqǐ lái, Xiǎoqīng yě bú pà!
Come on! All of you at once, Xiaoqing's still not scared!
- Narrator 这时候，天上来了很多神仙，都来帮金山寺。
Zhè shíhou, tiānshàng lái le hěn duō shénxiān, dōu lái bāng Jīnshān Sì.
Just then, many gods came down from the sky, all to help Jinshan Temple.
- Xiaoqing 小姐！这些神仙太厉害了，我们打不过他们！
Xiǎojiě! Zhèxiē shénxiān tài lìhai le, wǒmen dǎ bu guò tāmen!
Miss! These gods are too strong. We can't beat them!
- Bai Suzhen 好。你们有神仙，我有长江。
Hǎo. Nǐmen yǒu shénxiān, wǒ yǒu Cháng Jiāng.
Very well. You have your gods. I have the Yangtze.
- Narrator 白素贞对着长江，举起了手。
Bái Sùzhēn duìzhe Cháng Jiāng, jǔqǐ le shǒu.
Bai Suzhen turned to the Yangtze and raised her hand.
- Bai Suzhen 长江的水，给我涨起来！
Cháng Jiāng de shuǐ, gěi wǒ zhǎng qǐlái!
Waters of the Yangtze, rise!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Bai tell Xiaoqing to do first at the temple?
“我们先说好话，不要打”
- What does Fahai say Xu will do?
“他要留在金山寺，当和尚”
- Why does Bai say Xu should not become a monk?
“他家就他一个儿子”
- How does Fahai answer Bai's pleas?
“回你的峨眉山去吧……回你的山上去”
- Who comes to help the temple in the fight?
“天上来了很多神仙，都来帮金山寺”