Wang Taichang is from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. When he was a child, he used to stay in bed during the day. Suddenly it was dark and thundered. An animal bigger than a cat jumped on the bed and hid beside him. He turned around and refused to leave. After a while, the rain stopped and the animals left. Only then did he realize that it wasn't a cat. He was very scared, so he called his brother from the other side of the room. After listening to his explanation, my brother said happily, "My brother will be a big official in the future. This is the fox who came to prevent lightning robbery. " Later, as expected, he became a scholar in his teens and has been monitoring the empire since the magistrate. ?
Mrs. Wang often has a son named Yuan Feng, who is a fool. He is sixteen years old and still can't tell the difference between a man and a woman. No one in the village will marry his daughter because of stupidity. Wang Taichang is very worried. ?
One day, an old woman led a girl to the door and said that she would marry the girl to the Wangs as her wife. The girl is as beautiful as a fairy in the sky with a smile on her face. Wang Taichang's family was very happy and asked the old woman's name. She calls herself Yu, and her daughter, Xiaocui, is sixteen years old. When discussing the bride price, the old woman said, "This child follows me and can't eat enough bran. Once I live in this big house, I will feel at ease with maids at her disposal and delicious food for her to eat. Isn't this selling vegetables and bargaining? " Mrs. Wang was overjoyed and warmly entertained them. The old lady asked her daughter to meet Mr. and Mrs. Wang Taichang and said, "These are your parents-in-law. You should treat them well. I'm busy. I'll go back for three or two days and come back later. " Mrs. Wang often asks her servants to prepare horses for him. The old woman said that her home is not far from here, so don't bother. Then she went out. Xiao Cui didn't show any sadness or attachment, just rummaging through the small box, ready to do some work. Mrs Wang likes her generosity very much. A few days later, the old woman didn't come as promised. Mrs. Wang asked where Xiaocui lived, but Xiaocui just looked ignorant, but he didn't know where he lived and how to get there. Mrs. Wang cleaned up another yard for the young couple to get married. Relatives heard that Mrs. Wang often found a daughter from a poor family as a daughter-in-law, and they couldn't help laughing secretly. But when I saw Xiaocui's cleverness and beauty, I was surprised and never talked about anything again. ?
Xiaocui is smart enough to act according to her in-laws' faces. The old couple loved her, too, for fear that she would think Yuan Feng was stupid. Xiaocui talked and laughed as if you didn't care. It's just that Xiaocui loves to play. He often sewed cloth into balls, kicked it around, put on small leather shoes and kicked it dozens of steps away to trick Yuan Feng into running to pick it up. Yuanfeng and the maids run around, often tired and sweaty. One day, Wang Taichang happened to pass by, and the ball flew down from mid-air and smacked in the face. Xiaocui and the maids hurriedly slipped away, and Yuan Feng foolishly ran to meet them. Too often angry, I picked up a stone and threw it at my son. Yuanfeng was crying on the ground. Wang Taichang went back to his room and told the lady what had happened. The lady came over and scolded Xiaocui. Xiao Cui didn't care at all. She bowed her head and smiled, rowing with her fingers on the edge of the bed. After the lady left, she was still fooling around, smearing rouge powder on Yuanfeng's face, painting it colorful, like a painting ghost. When the lady saw it, she was so angry that she called Xiao Cui to denounce it. Xiaocui leaned against the table and played with her clothes. She was not afraid at all and didn't say a word. The lady had no choice but to take it out on her son and beat Yuan Feng to tears. Xiaocui face big change, kneeling on the ground for mercy. The lady calmed down, put down her stick and went out. ?
Xiao Cui helped his son to the bedroom, dusted his clothes, wiped the tears on his face with a handkerchief, and gave him red dates and chestnuts to eat. Yuan Feng stopped crying and became happy again. Xiao Cui closed the door, dressed Yuanfeng as the overlord of Chu, put on gorgeous clothes, tied her waist thin, dressed as a concubine and danced. Sometimes he dresses up as the king of the desert, with pheasant feathers in his head and a pipa in his hand, playing secretly and laughing all over the room. All day, always like this. Too often, because his son is stupid, Wang Can can't bear to blame and blame Xiao Cui too much. Even if you hear it occasionally, you should play dumb. ?
In the same alley with the Wangs, there lived a king who gave advice, but they were only a dozen miles apart, but Mrs. Wang and Mr. Wang never got along. It coincided with the triennial official assessment. Wang Jian was jealous that Wang Taichang had made a platform in Henan and wanted to find an opportunity to plot against him. Wang knows too many times. He is worried, but he can't think of a way to deal with it. ?
One night, Mrs. Wang often goes to bed early. Xiao Cui put on the clothes of the imperial court, dressed as an official minister, cut some white velvet to make a beard, told two maids to put on Tsing Yi, pretended to be your official, and secretly led the horse out of the stable, saying that it was "to visit Mr. Wang." At the door of the king's advice, he whipped his followers and said, "I want to see the king serve the king." Who wants to see what advice the king gives? " Turn the horse's head and go. At his door, the concierge thought it was really the official department minister, and ran to the building to report to Wang Taichang. Wang Taichang quickly got up and went out to meet him, only to know that his wife had made a big joke. Wang often turned pale with anger and left his sleeves behind and went back to his room. He said to his wife, "People are picking on us and trying to punish our family. This is a good thing, but if the daughter-in-law makes such a scandal, our family will be miserable! " Lady ran to Xiaocui's room, cursing and cursing. Xiaocui just giggled and didn't know. Hit her, can't bear to start; Get rid of her. She is homeless again. The couple regretted everything and didn't sleep well all night. ?
At this time, the official department of Shangshu was a fair and powerful man, dressed exactly like Xiao Cui that day. So, Wang Jian thought it was really the official department minister, and sent people to Wang Taichang's door for news many times. After waiting in the middle of the night, I haven't seen the official department minister come out yet. He suspected that the official department minister and Wang Taichang were discussing any secrets. The next morning, Wang Jian saw Wang Taichang and asked, "Did Shangshu visit your house last night?" Mrs. Wang often thought that he meant to be sarcastic and ashamed to say it, but only answered "yes" vaguely in a low voice. Wang is becoming more and more skeptical about this proposal. From then on, he dared not plot against Wang Taichang, but tried his best to make friends with him. Wang Taichang was secretly pleased to learn the inside story, but privately told his wife to persuade Xiaocui to stop fooling around. Xiaocui also agreed with a smile. ?
A year later, the North Korean Prime Minister was removed from office. It happened that someone wrote a private letter to Wang Taichang and sent it to the Wangs by mistake. The king was overjoyed at this suggestion, so he first entrusted a person who had a long-term friendship with Mrs. Wang to borrow 12 thousand silver from him as a threat. Wang refused too often. Wang gave an idea and came to talk in person. Wang Taichang is busy looking for official clothes, but I can't find them anywhere. Wang waited for a long time to remonstrate, thinking that Wang was always putting on airs and deliberately neglecting, and was about to leave angrily. Suddenly, Yuan Feng was wearing the emperor's dragon robe crown, and a woman pushed him out of the door. Wang was startled when he heard this. He pretended to smile, comforted his son, took off his clothes and gave them to the slave. When Mrs. Wang often comes out, the guests have already left. ?
When Mrs. Wang learned what happened, she was shocked, turned pale and cried, "Woe to me! After this terrible disaster, I see that my whole family will be copied and killed! " Said and beat trav with a stick with his wife. Xiao Cui already knows, close the door and let them shout, but ignore them. Mrs. Wang often saw this scene, added fuel to the fire, picked up an axe and split the door. At this moment, Xiaocui smiled and advised her father-in-law at the door, saying, "Dad, don't be angry. I am here, and I will bear all kinds of punishment. I don't want your parents to be implicated. Dad tried to chop me to death. Is this to kill people? " Wang Taichang threw down the axe as soon as he heard that it made sense. ?
When the king was remonstrated, he really played the emperor, exposing Wang Taichang's rebellion, and the dragon robe was crowned as evidence. The emperor opened it in surprise. It turns out that the so-called crown is made of sorghum stalks, and the dragon robe is a shabby yellow cloth bag. The emperor was furious and accused Wang of framing good people. The emperor called Yuan Feng again, and when he saw it, he turned out to be an idiot. The emperor smiled: "Can such a fool be emperor?" Give it to the legal department for safekeeping. Wang admonished and accused Wang Taichang of having a demon at home. Judicial officials arrested the servants of the Wang family for interrogation, and everyone said, "Where is the devil? Only a crazy daughter-in-law and a stupid son play around all day. " So do the neighbors. When the case was finalized, Wang was sentenced to admonition and false accusation and exiled to Yunnan. From then on, Mrs. Wang often felt that Xiaocui was unusual, and because her mother never came back, she wondered if her daughter-in-law was a fairy! Let Mrs. Wang ask. Xiaocui just laughed and threw out a sentence. When the lady asked again and again, Xiao Cui covered her mouth and said with a smile, "I am the jade emperor's own daughter." Mom doesn't know? " ?
Before long, Wang Taichang was promoted again. By this time, he was in his fifties and often worried about not having grandchildren. ?
Xiao Cui has been in the door for three years and sleeps in separate beds with childe every night. The lady sent someone to move her son's bed and told him to sleep with Xiao Cui. A few days later, the son complained to his wife, "That bed has been moved. Why don't you return it?" Xiao Cui puts her feet on my stomach every night, which makes me breathless! It feels good to pinch someone's thigh ... all the maids are covering their mouths and laughing, and the lady even drove him away with a drink and a fight. "。
One day, Xiaocui was taking a bath in her room. Yuan Feng met her and wanted to take a bath with her. Xiao Cui stopped him with a smile and told him to wait. Xiao Cui came out of the shower, poured hot water into the urn, then undressed the son, and the maid helped him down from the urn. Childe feel very oppressed, cried out, Xiaocui didn't listen, and covered him with a quilt. After a while, there was no sound. When I opened it, I was dead. Xiaocui responded, don't panic. He slowly took his son out and put him on the bed, dried him, and then covered him with two quilts. When the lady heard that her son was suffocated in the shower, she came crying and said, "Crazy girl, how did you kill my son!" " "Xiaocui said with a smile," It's better to have such a silly son than nothing! " When the wife heard that it worked, she was even more mad and hit Xiao Cui with her head. The maids quickly took the lady away. It was in full swing when a maid came to report, "Oh, boy, get up quickly!" " "My wife stopped crying and used to touch Yuan Feng. She saw him panting and sweating, and the quilt was soaked. A meal of kung fu, sweating like a pig, Yuan Feng opened his eyes and looked around. Looking at the people at home as if they didn't know each other at all, they said, "Looking back on the past is really like dreaming. What is this? " Hearing this, the lady doesn't seem to have come from a fool. She felt very strange and led him to see Wang Taichang. Too often, I am tempted by many aspects, so I am not stupid. The whole family is very happy. It's really a treasure. The old couple secretly asked the servant to bring back the bed that had been carried away, put it back in its original place, and spread the bedding. I went to see it the next day, but the bedding didn't move. Since then, Yuanfeng's dementia has never recurred, and the husband and wife are very harmonious, going in and out, inseparable. After more than a year, Mrs. Wang was often impeached by people on Wang's side, only to be an official and to be punished. Wang Taichang's family has a jade bottle presented by the governor of Guangxi, which is worth several thousand taels of silver, and is going to take it out to bribe the high officials. Xiao Cui likes this vase very much and often plays with it in her hand. I accidentally fell to the ground and broke into pieces. She was ashamed and hurried to tell her in-laws. The old couple are worried about losing their official position. When they heard that the jade bottle was broken, they became very angry and scolded Xiao Cui in unison. Xiaocui angrily walked out of the door and said to Yuan Feng, "I have been in your house for several years, and I have saved more than one vase for your family. Why not give me a little face? " To tell you the truth, I am not a mortal woman. It was only because my mother was sheltered by your father when she was struck by lightning that I came to your house because we had a fate of five years. One is to repay my kindness, the other is to fulfill this wish. I don't know how many scolds I got at your house. I can't count them. The reason why I didn't leave is because our five-year fate is not full. Can I stay now? "Say, xiao cui angrily and went out. Yuanfeng chased the door and disappeared. ?
Mrs. Wang often feels that she has gone too far, but it is too late to regret it. When Yuanfeng came into the room and saw the powder and jewelry used by Xiaocui, he couldn't help crying. Don't eat during the day, don't sleep at night, and lose weight day by day. Wang Taichang is very anxious and wants to remarry for him as soon as possible to relieve his grief. However, Yuan Feng is still unhappy. He just found a famous painter, drew a portrait of Xiao Cui and prayed for it every day. ?
It's been almost two years. One day, Yuan Feng came back from other places by accident. It was late and the moon was hanging in the sky. His house used to have a garden outside the village. He rode past the wall, heard laughter in the wall, stopped, asked the groom to bring the horse over, stood on the saddle, looked through the wall, and saw two girls playing in the garden, because the moon was covered by clouds and could not see clearly. I heard a girl in green say, "dead girl, you should be kicked out!" " The girl in red said, "This is our garden, but you drove me away." . Who should you drive away? "The girl in green said," I'm not shy. I can't be a wife. I'm divorced and dare to think it's your garden. " The girl in red said, "It's better than an old maid who has no owner!" "Yuan Feng sounds like Xiao Cui, so he called her quickly. While walking, the girl in green said, "I won't argue with you for the time being, your man is here!" " "The girl in red came and it was Xiaocui. Yuanfeng is very happy. Xiao Cui told him to climb the wall to pick him up. He said, "I haven't seen you for two years, but you are as thin as a skeleton." Yuan Feng held her hand, tears streaming down her face, and told her what she thought in detail. Xiaocui said, "I know all about it, but I have no face to enter your door again. I played here with my elder sister today, but I didn't expect to meet you. Obviously, marriage is inevitable. "Yuan Feng let her go back together, Xiaocui refused. She was asked to stay in the garden and she agreed.
Yuanfeng sent his servant home to report to his wife. Hearing this, the lady was pleasantly surprised and came in a sedan chair. Into the garden, Xiao Cui was greeted and bowed. Madame took Xiaocui's arm and wept bitterly. She sincerely reviewed her previous mistakes and could not forgive herself. He added, "If you don't hate me, please come back with me and comfort me when I am old." Xiaocui resolutely refused, refused to promise. Madam, because this garden is so desolate, she intends to send more maids to serve it. Xiaocui said, "I don't want to see anyone, just those two old maids. Together for a long time, I trust them very much, so let them come. Watch the gate and send an old servant. No one else needs it. " Madame did as Xiaocui said, telling outsiders that Yuanfeng was in the garden for illness. Give them food and daily necessities every day. ?
Xiaocui often advised Yuanfeng to get married, but Yuanfeng refused. After more than a year, Xiaocui's face and voice gradually changed. Take out a portrait. Totally different. Yuanfeng is very strange. Xiaocui said, "Do you think I am more beautiful than before?" Yuan Feng said, "You are beautiful today, but you are not the same as before." Xiaocui said; "You mean I'm old?" Yuan Feng said, "You are only in your twenties. How can it be old? " Xiaocui smiled and burned the portrait. Yuanfeng wants it, it has been reduced to ashes. ?
One day, Xiaocui said to Yuan Feng, "My grandfather said that I would never have children until I died. Now that your parents are old and you have no brothers, I don't want children, for fear of delaying your offspring. You'd better marry another wife so that you can serve your in-laws sooner or later. There is nothing inconvenient for you to run around. " Yuanfeng agreed and asked the historian Zhong Taishi for help. The wedding is coming. Xiaocui made new clothes, shoes and socks for the bride and sent them to Zhong's house. When the bride enters the door, she looks, talks and behaves just like Xiaocui. Yuan Feng was very surprised and went to the garden to find Xiao Cui. Xiaocui has disappeared, ask the maid. The maid took out a red scarf and said, "Your wife has gone back to her family. Leave this to me for your son. "Yuanfeng unfolded a red scarf with a jade Jue on it, which meant that she would be separated from Yuanfeng forever. Yuanfeng knew that she wouldn't come back, so she took the girl back. Although Yuanfeng has always missed Xiaocui, fortunately, seeing the bride is just like seeing Xiaocui. ?
Yuan Feng realized that Xiaocui had expected to marry the daughter of the Zhong family, so he first became the girl of the Zhong family, so as to comfort Yuan Feng and miss her later! ?
Second, the author profile:
Pu Songling (1640- 17 15), a native of Pujiazhuang, hongshan town, Zichuan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province, is also known as Liu Quan lay man. Born into a declining family of small and medium-sized landlords and businessmen. /kloc-when he was 0/9 years old, he got the boy's exam and won the first place in county, government and road, which made him famous for a while. Make up a doctoral disciple. I tried again and again until 7 1 Forced by life, he was invited by Sun Hui, a fellow villager in Baoying County, to visit his home for several years. I mainly worked as a teacher in Bijia, Xipu Village, this county, and studied for nearly 42 years. I didn't go home until my hukou was retired in 1709. 1765438+ died in January 2005 at the age of 76. Create a famous collection of short stories in classical Chinese, Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio.