Ghost Story of Liaozhai

Farmer Ma Tianrong, in his twenties, is widowed and lives alone, too poor to marry.

This day, Ma Tianrong went to work in the field, and saw a young woman, dressed in colorful clothes, passing by with her feet on seedlings, her face was rosy and her figure was elegant.Ma Tianrong thought it was a lost woman, and looked around for no one, so he stepped forward to tease her, but the young woman was not angry, and refused to return her welcome.Ma Tianrong was overjoyed and wanted to join forces with Zhiye.The young woman smiled and said: "The sky is bright and the sun is bright, how can you do this? You go back first, cover the door and wait, and I will come to you in the evening." Ma Tianrong didn't believe it, but the young woman insisted that she would not lie. , where the portal is, explain them one by one.The young woman left.

In the middle of the night, the young woman really came. The man and woman were very happy. The woman's skin was soft and tender. Staring under the candlelight, her skin was red and thin, like a baby, but it was covered with fine hair.The farmer was surprised and wondered, "The whereabouts of the beautiful woman in front of me are uncertain. Could it be a fox fairy?" He had something in his heart and said it out of his mouth. When the young woman heard the words, she admitted herself and said, "Yes, I am a fox fairy." Ma Tianrong said: "My lady. Since we are immortals, we should be omnipotent. Our friendship is very shallow, can you give me some gold and silver to help the poor?" The young woman agreed.The next night, Ma Tianrong asked for gold, the young woman said in amazement: "Sorry, I forgot." Ma Tianrong said: "It's okay, just remember it tomorrow night."

On the second night, the young woman came again, and Ma Tianrong asked: "I haven't forgotten this time." The young woman said: "Wait a few more days." Two ingots of silver, about five or six taels in weight, with warped edges and fine lines, have an exquisite appearance.Ma Tianrong was overjoyed and immediately hid the silver in the cabinet.

After half a year, Ma Tianrong was in urgent need of money, so he took out the silver and showed it to others. The man smiled and said, "It's not silver, it's white tin."Horrified, Ma Tianrong put away the broken tin and took it home.At night, when a young woman came to the door, Ma Tianrong questioned angrily and taunted her.The young woman said with a smile: "My son's life is poor, and he has no blessing to receive real gold." Just laugh and let the matter go.

Ma Tianrong said: "I heard that fox fairies are all national beauty and heavenly fragrance, but I don't think so when I look at the lady's appearance." The young woman said: "I wait for others to transform. The son does not even have a fortune of gold. Even if he meets a beautiful woman who sinks fish and wild geese, why not Can it be used? Although the concubine is ugly and not good enough to serve high-class people, but compared with the big-footed hunchback, she can be regarded as a beautiful woman."

After a few months, the young woman suddenly gave Ma Tianrong three taels of silver, saying: "Young master has repeatedly asked me for money, but I have been perfunctory because you are not destined to get rich. You keep these three taels of silver carefully, and you can use it to marry a wife." Marriage, the fate between you and me is over, so let's say goodbye." Ma Tianrong argued: "I never said that I want to get married." The young woman said: "In a few days, a matchmaker will come." Ma Tianrong asked: "The woman's appearance is seductive. How?" The young woman said: "You never forget the national character, so it is naturally the national character." Ma Tianrong said: "The national character dare not expect extravagantly. But how can a mere three taels of silver be enough to marry a wife?" The young woman said: "This marriage is due to the old age of the moon. Destined, non-manpower can change." Ma Tianrong asked: "Why did you say goodbye and leave?"

The young woman said: "You and I wear the stars and wear the moon, and we have sex without a matchmaker. It's not the end. The young master will get married soon, why should I stay?" He left at dawn, and before leaving, he took out a pack of yellow medicinal powder and presented it to Ma Tianrong, saying : "If you get sick after parting, take this medicine to treat it."

The next day, if a matchmaker came.Ma Tianrong first asked about the woman's appearance, and the matchmaker said, "Medium appearance, neither beautiful nor ugly." Ma Tianrong asked, "How much is the hire price?" The matchmaker said, "About four or five taels." Ma Tianrong said, "The price is negotiable, but it must be seen first. Please verify your identity." The matchmaker hesitated and said, "The future lady is a woman from a good family, so it is inconvenient to show her face in public. In this way, you will go with me and play by ear."

When they came to the girl's house, the matchmaker went to interrogate first, and asked Ma Tianrong to wait outside the village.After a while, the matchmaker came back and said, "It's done. My cousin and the woman live in the same courtyard. I went to visit just now and saw the woman sitting in the boudoir. You can pretend to be my cousin and friend, enter the house under the name of a friend, and take the opportunity to watch A woman's appearance is close enough for peeping." Ma Tianrong followed his words, came into the room, and saw the woman lying on the bed, and a servant girl was scratching her back.

Ma Tianrong passed in front of the woman, took a quick glance at her, saw her beautiful appearance, and was overjoyed. The two families set a date for the wedding, and the woman's parents didn't ask much, and only asked for two taels of silver as a dowry, so they agreed to send her off for marriage. Ma Tianrong thought he had taken advantage of it, Paying the gift money, plus rewarding the matchmaker, and calculating the expenses, it was exactly three taels of silver, not much, not a lot.

After choosing an auspicious day, Ma Tianrong married his bride and went through the door. On the night of the bridal chamber, he lifted his daughter-in-law's veil, only to see her hunchbacked, her neck curled up like a turtle, and a pair of big feet at the bottom of her skirt, more than a foot long. Wanhu Immortal's words, saying over and over again that his fate is poor and that he is not blessed to enjoy beautiful women, are not aimless, they all have a basis.