Ghost Story of Liaozhai

Luo Zifu was born in Bin County, whose parents died young.When Ba was nine years old, he went to his uncle Luo Daye.Luo Daye sacrificed wine for Guozijian. He was rich in gold and silver but had no heirs. He loved Luo Zifu very much and regarded him as his own.When Luo Zifu was 14 years old, he was seduced by bandits, went astray, and behaved sinisterly.

In the county seat, there is a Jinling prostitute who is beautiful, and Luo Zifu fools around with her all day long.Later, the prostitute returned to Jinling, and Luo Zifu was reluctant to part with her, but she followed her all the way.After living in the prostitute's house for half a year, all the gold and silver were gone, and she was treated with cold eyes.Not long after, Luo Zifu contracted the willow disease, his lower body festered, stained the bed mat, and the stench was so strong that he was expelled from the boudoir by the prostitute, and lived on the street, begging for the day. When the people saw him, they avoided him.Luo Zifu was worried that the guest would die in a foreign land, so he begged all the way westward, walking thirty or forty miles a day, and gradually arrived at Ping County.I think that I am sick, down and out, have no face to see relatives and friends, and only wander in neighboring counties every day.

In the evening of this day, Luo Zifu planned to go to the mountain temple for boarding. He met a woman who looked like a fairy, and asked him: "Where are you going?" Luo Zifu told the truth, and the woman said: "I am a monk and live in a cave. Staying here, I am not afraid of tigers and wolves." Luo Zifu was overjoyed, and followed her into the deep mountains, and saw a cave with a stream flowing in front of the gate, and a stone bridge over the water.

A few steps after crossing the bridge, there are two stone chambers, the interiors are brightly illuminated and no lights are needed.The woman ordered him to take off his clothes and trousers, take a bath in the stream, and said, "After washing, the illness will heal itself." Then she cleaned the bed, laid out the quilt, urged Luo Zifu to go to bed, and said, "Go to bed and lie down, I will help you. Make a dress." Take a few banana leaves and cut them into clothes.After a while, the new clothes were sewn, and the woman folded them and placed them on the bedside.Said: "You can wear it when you wake up tomorrow morning." While speaking, he walked to the opposite bed to rest.

Luo Zifu felt refreshed after taking a bath, and the wound no longer hurts.After dawn, I touched it with my hand, and the affected area had scabbed over.I thought to myself, "How can I wear banana leaves?" I took the new clothes and inspected them, but it was a beautiful green robe, very silky.After a while, the two of them were eating, and the woman took out a leaf and called out, "Noodle cake, noodles cake." After eating it, it was indeed cake.Cut the leaves into chicken and fish shapes, taste them after cooking, the taste is the same as the real thing.There is a pottery altar in the corner of the room. The woman pours stream water into the altar, and then pours it out. The stream water turns into fine wine in a blink of an eye.

A few days later, Luo Zifu recovered and asked to sleep together. The woman laughed and scolded: "Frivolous rascal, his condition is just right, so he has delusions."

One day, a young woman came into the house with a smile and said, "Pianpian, the little ghost head, die fast! Aunt Xue has a dream, when will it be done?" The woman smiled and said, "Miss Huacheng, I haven't been here for a long time. The southwest wind is strong today, and it's blowing here!" Have you hugged your son?" Huacheng said: "It's a girl again." Pianpian smiled and said: "Ms. Hua is really the life of Wayao! Why didn't you bring the child?" Huacheng said: "I was still crying just now, and it took me a while to coax her She is asleep." While speaking, she sat down on a chair and held a banquet. (Xue Guzi’s dream, refers to a woman who finds a good husband; Wayao, a derogatory term for women who give birth to girls but not boys.)

Huacheng stared at Luo Zifu, and said with a smile: "Your lord is lucky." Luo Zifu looked at the woman carefully, 23 years old, and graceful.Feeling admiration in his heart, he deliberately knocked the fruit to the ground, leaned over to pick it up, and took the opportunity to touch her feet.Huacheng looked elsewhere, as if nothing happened.Luo Zi was distracted, and when he was proud, he suddenly felt cold, and when he looked intently, his clothes turned into leaves.Horrified, he sat upright, and his clothes gradually returned to their original state.Secretly glad that the second daughter didn't see her ugly face.

After a while, Luo Zifu's heart arose again, and when pouring wine for Huacheng, he secretly scratched her palm with his fingers, Huacheng smiled calmly, as if he didn't notice it.Luo Zifu was so excited that his heart beat faster, his clothes had already turned into leaves, and he returned to his original state after a long while.From this point of view, I will never think about it, and I dare not think about it.Huacheng smiled and said: "Your gentleman, you are too dishonest. If it wasn't suppressed by a jealous lady, he would have flown to the sky." Pianpian said: "Bo Xing'er, you deserve to be frozen to death." The two applauded and laughed.Huacheng left the table and said: "I should go, otherwise the child will wake up and cry." Pianpian said with a smile: "Just now you seduced his man, why didn't you worry about Xiaojiangcheng crying."

After Huacheng left, Luo Zifu was worried that Pianpian would blame him, but Pianpian treated him as usual.After living here for a short time, autumn is old and the wind is cold, and the leaves are withered. Pianpian collects fallen leaves, stores food, and prepares for the winter.Seeing that Luo Zifu shrank in his single clothes, he grabbed a few pieces of white clouds and made them into cotton clothes. After Luo Zifu put them on, they were light and fluffy, but warmer than sable fur.

A year later, Pianpian gave birth to a son named Baoer.Smart and beautiful.Luo Zifu spends his days playing in the cave for fun, misses his hometown every time, and begs Pianpian to go home together.Pianpian said: "Concubines can't follow each other; otherwise, you will go." Two or three years later, Baoer gradually grew up and made a marriage contract with Jiangcheng, the daughter of Huacheng.Luo Zifu often misses his uncle, and Pian Pian said: "Although Uncle is old, he is in good health, so don't worry about it. When Bao'er gets married, he can go or stay as he pleases."

In the cave, Pianpian picks up leaves to write books and teaches children to read. Baoer is gifted and has a photographic memory.Pianpian said to Luo Zifu: "This son is blessed, if he enters the world of mortals, he will have no worries about being an official." Not long after, Bao'er turned fourteen, Huacheng personally sent his daughter to marry.

Husband and wife rejoice, hold a family banquet, clasp hairpins and sing "I have a beautiful son, and I am not envious of noble officials. I have a beautiful woman, and I am not envious of Qiwan. Tonight, everyone should like it. Drink for the king, and persuade you to add meals " Then Huacheng left, and the family of four lived together, Jiangcheng was filial, clinging to his knees, just like his own life.

Luo Zifu brought up the matter of returning again, and said gracefully: "My son has vulgar bones, but he is not a fairy in the end; I am also a wealthy man, so I can take it with me, and I will not miss my son's life." Jiang Chengyu bid farewell to his mother, and Huacheng has arrived.The sons and daughters are in love, each crying.The two mothers comforted: "Leave for the time being, come back and have a look when you get homesick." Pianpian cut the leaves into donkeys, and the three of them returned home.

Luo Daye returned home, thinking that his nephew had already died, but he couldn't help being overjoyed when he suddenly saw him come back with his daughter and daughter-in-law.The three of them entered the door, each checked their clothes, all of them turned into banana leaves, and tore them apart with their hands, the cotton wool in the clothes evaporated and scattered in all directions into clouds of smoke.

Later, Luo Zifu thought about it, and went to visit with his son. They saw yellow leaves all over the path, the entrance of the cave was cloudy, and there was no trace of the beautiful woman, so he returned disappointed.