The White Snake · chapter 20 of 25
Xu Xian Leaves Home
许仙出家
Bai says goodbye, Xu makes a hard choice that night, and years later a few words at school turn Mengjiao's world upside down.
Read what you hear
- Bai Suzhen 雷峰塔下的地开了。官人，我该走了。
Léifēng Tǎ xià de dì kāi le. Guānrén, wǒ gāi zǒu le.
The ground beneath Leifeng Pagoda is open. Dear, it's time for me to go.
- Xu Xian 不！娘子，你去哪儿，我就去哪儿！
Bù! Niángzǐ, nǐ qù nǎr, wǒ jiù qù nǎr!
No! My dear, wherever you go, I'm going too!
- Bai Suzhen 官人，梦蛟还这么小，他不能没有爸爸。
Guānrén, Mèngjiāo hái zhème xiǎo, tā bù néng méiyǒu bàba.
Dear, Mengjiao is still so little. He can't be without his father.
Chapter 20 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.
- Fahai 许仙，别哭了。有一天，你们还会再见的。
Xǔ Xiān, bié kū le. Yǒu yì tiān, nǐmen hái huì zài jiàn de.
Xu Xian, stop crying. One day, you two will meet again.
- Xu Xian 还会再见？师父，您说的是真的？
Hái huì zài jiàn? Shīfu, nín shuō de shì zhēn de?
We'll meet again? Master, do you mean it?
- Fahai 我法海不说假话。
Wǒ Fǎhǎi bù shuō jiǎhuà.
I, Fahai, do not lie.
- Bai Suzhen 官人，我们是因为一把伞认识的。以后下雨，你就想想我。
Guānrén, wǒmen shì yīnwèi yì bǎ sǎn rènshi de. Yǐhòu xià yǔ, nǐ jiù xiǎngxiang wǒ.
Dear, we met because of an umbrella. Whenever it rains, think of me.
- Bai Suzhen 姐姐，谢谢你。梦蛟，妈妈走了，你要快快长大。
Jiějie, xièxie nǐ. Mèngjiāo, māma zǒu le, nǐ yào kuàikuài zhǎngdà.
Thank you, sister. Mengjiao, Mother has to go now. Grow up quickly, little one.
- Narrator 白素贞走进了塔下的地里。
Bái Sùzhēn zǒujìn le tǎ xià de dì lǐ.
Bai Suzhen walked down into the earth beneath the pagoda.
- Xu Xian 娘子，娘子，你回来！
Niángzǐ, niángzǐ, nǐ huílái!
My dear, my dear, come back!
- Fahai 许仙，回家去吧，孩子还在等你。
Xǔ Xiān, huí jiā qù ba, háizi hái zài děng nǐ.
Xu Xian, go home now. Your child is waiting for you.
- Jiaorong 到家了。弟弟，都是你！那么好的妹妹，你为什么要去金山寺？
Dào jiā le. Dìdi, dōu shì nǐ! Nàme hǎo de mèimei, nǐ wèishénme yào qù Jīnshān Sì?
We're home. Brother, this is all your doing! She was such a good sister. Why did you ever go to Jinshan Temple?
- Xu Xian 都是我的错。到最后，她还在帮我，不让小青咬我……
Dōu shì wǒ de cuò. Dào zuìhòu, tā hái zài bāng wǒ, bú ràng Xiǎoqīng yǎo wǒ…
It's all my fault. Even at the very end, she was still looking after me. She wouldn't let Xiaoqing bite me...
- Jiaorong 好了，不说了。孩子睡了，你也去睡吧。
Hǎo le, bù shuō le. Háizi shuì le, nǐ yě qù shuì ba.
All right, enough. The baby's asleep. You go to bed too.
- Xu Xian 姐姐，以后梦蛟就交给你了。
Jiějie, yǐhòu Mèngjiāo jiù jiāo gěi nǐ le.
Sister, from now on, Mengjiao is in your hands.
- Xu Xian 这么晚了，我还坐在娘子的房间里。可是，娘子不在了。
Zhème wǎn le, wǒ hái zuò zài niángzǐ de fángjiān lǐ. Kěshì, niángzǐ bú zài le.
It's so late, and I'm still sitting in her room. But she isn't here anymore.
- Xu Xian 在金山寺的时候，我还想要我的头发。现在，头发还有什么用？
Zài Jīnshān Sì de shíhou, wǒ hái xiǎng yào wǒ de tóufa. Xiànzài, tóufa hái yǒu shénme yòng?
At Jinshan Temple I still wanted to keep my hair. What use is my hair to me now?
- Xu Xian 剪了吧。剪了头发，我就去当和尚。
Jiǎn le ba. Jiǎn le tóufa, wǒ jiù qù dāng héshang.
Cut it off, then. With my hair cut, I'll go and be a monk.
- Xu Xian 娘子，不下雨，我也会天天想着你。
Niángzǐ, bú xià yǔ, wǒ yě huì tiāntiān xiǎngzhe nǐ.
My dear, rain or no rain, I'll think of you every day.
- Narrator 那天晚上，许仙离开了家。后来，他去了金山寺。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Xǔ Xiān líkāi le jiā. Hòulái, tā qù le Jīnshān Sì.
That night Xu Xian left home. In time, he went to Jinshan Temple.
- Fahai 许仙，从今天起，你的名字叫道宗。
Xǔ Xiān, cóng jīntiān qǐ, nǐ de míngzi jiào Dàozōng.
Xu Xian, from today, your name is Daozong.
- Xu Xian 是，师父，我就是道宗了。
Shì, shīfu, wǒ jiù shì Dàozōng le.
Yes, Master. I am Daozong now.
- Jiaorong 梦蛟不哭，梦蛟不哭。以后，我就是你的妈妈。
Mèngjiāo bù kū, Mèngjiāo bù kū. Yǐhòu, wǒ jiù shì nǐ de māma.
Hush, Mengjiao, hush. From now on, I'm your mother.
- Narrator 一年又一年过去了。梦蛟七岁了，在学堂里读书。
Yì nián yòu yì nián guòqù le. Mèngjiāo qī suì le, zài xuétáng lǐ dúshū.
Year after year went by. Mengjiao was seven now, and studying at school.
- Mengjiao 先生说，我的字写得最好！回家我要告诉妈妈，我以后要当状元！
Xiānsheng shuō, wǒ de zì xiě de zuì hǎo! Huí jiā wǒ yào gàosu māma, wǒ yǐhòu yào dāng zhuàngyuan!
The teacher says my writing is the best! When I get home, I'll tell Mother I'm going to be top scholar!
- Narrator 一个同学听了，不高兴了。他看着梦蛟，大声说了一句话。
Yí gè tóngxué tīng le, bù gāoxìng le. Tā kànzhe Mèngjiāo, dàshēng shuō le yí jù huà.
A classmate heard him and didn't like it. He stared at Mengjiao and shouted something.
- Mengjiao 你说什么？我妈妈是……妖怪？
Nǐ shuō shénme? Wǒ māma shì… yāoguài?
What did you say? My mother is... a demon?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Fahai tell Xu at the pagoda?
“有一天，你们还会再见的”
- What does Bai ask Xu to do whenever it rains?
“以后下雨，你就想想我”
- What does Xu do that night in Bai's room?
“剪了头发，我就去当和尚”
- What name is Xu given at Jinshan Temple?
“你的名字叫道宗”
- What does Mengjiao hear at school about his mother?
“我妈妈是……妖怪”