My little sister begs for a translation of Bai Xingjian’s "The Biography of Li Wa"
Li Wa, the wife of Yanguo, was originally a prostitute in Chang'an. Her moral integrity and character are noble and unique, and are very commendable, so Bai Xingwei, the supervisory censor, made a speech for her and introduced her deeds. During the Tianbao period, there was a Changzhou governor named Rongyang Gong. His name is omitted here and will not be recorded. At that time, his reputation was very high and his family had a large population. When he was fifty, he had a son who had just turned twenty. He was smart, handsome, talented in literature, outstanding, and deeply admired by his peers. Duke Rongyang loved and valued him even more, saying: "This is my family's thousand-mile horse."
The son was recommended by the county to go to Beijing to take the scholar examination. Before leaving, Duke Rongyang arranged for him in clothing, clothing, and clothes. He made full preparations for treasures, carriages and horses, etc., calculated his daily expenses after entering Beijing, and said to him: "I see your talent, you should win the first exam. Now I have prepared two years of expenses for you." , and give more. It is to help you realize your wish." The young master is also very conceited, and he regards getting fame as easy as writing on the palm of his hand.
He set out from Piling and arrived in Chang'an after more than a month, where he lived in Buzheng. Once, when he came back from visiting the East Market, he entered through the east gate of Pingkangli and wanted to visit friends in the southwest. When he arrived at Mingke Lane, he saw a house. The courtyard was not very wide, but the house was neat and deep. The door was ajar, and there stood a young girl leaning against a maid with double-combed hair. She was so beautiful and charming that the world had never seen her before. The young master suddenly saw her and couldn't help but stop his horse and look at her for a long time. He lingered and couldn't bear to leave. So he pretended to drop the riding crop on the ground, waited for the servant to come, and ordered him to pick it up. During this time, the young master kept peeking at the wolf girl, and the girl also turned her eyes and stared at him sideways, showing an expression of admiration. But in the end he didn't dare to say a word and left.
The young master felt as if he had lost something, so he secretly visited friends who were familiar with Chang'an and asked him about the girl. The friend said: "This is the home of the prostitute Li." He then asked: "Can she ask for it?" He replied: "The Li family is very rich. In the past, most of the people who had dealings with her were nobles and wealthy people, and the rewards she received were very large. Rich. If you don't spend a million, you can't move her heart." The young master said, "I'm afraid it won't work out. What a pity it would be to spend a million." One day, the young master dressed up and went with many followers. . The young master knocked on her door. After a while, a maid opened the door.
He asked: "Whose house is this?" The maid did not answer, but ran in and shouted loudly: "The young man who dropped the riding whip a while ago is here!" Li Wa said happily: "You can call me He will wait a moment. I will dress up before going to see him." The young master was secretly happy after hearing this. The maid then led the young master to the screen wall and saw an old hunchbacked woman with gray hair. She was Li Wa's mother. The young master came forward and bowed down and said respectfully: "I heard that there is a vacant house here, and I am willing to rent it out to people. Is that true?" The old woman said, "I'm afraid it is simple and narrow, and I won't be satisfied with it. How dare you talk about renting it out?" ” After saying that, he invited the young master to the living room, which was very gorgeous. She sat down with the young master face to face and said, "I have a little daughter who knows a little about singing and dancing and likes to meet guests. I plan to let her come to meet you." So she called Li Wa out. Li Wa's eyes were bright, her wrists were white, and she walked beautifully. The young master was so surprised that he stood up quickly and did not dare to look up at her. After he and Li Wa paid their respects, they exchanged a few words. Li Wa's every move, every frown and every smile was so beautiful that the young master had never seen her before. After sitting down again, Li Wa made tea and wine for the young master. The utensils used were all clean. They spent a long time together, the sun had set, and the drums sounded all around.
The old woman asked him if he lived far away. The young master lied to her and said, "It's a few miles outside Yanping Gate." He hoped to be left behind because of the distance. But the old lady said: "The watch drum has been beaten. You should go back quickly and do not violate the ban." The young master said: "I am fortunate to receive your warm reception and talk and laugh with you. Unconsciously, it is already evening and the road back is far away." , and there are no relatives in the city, what should I do?" Li Wa said, "If you don't mind that this place is lonely and simple, since you are planning to rent it, what does it matter if you rest for a night first?" The young master looked at it with his eyes many times. old lady. The old woman said: "Okay! Okay!" The young master then asked the servants to take out two pieces of fine silk and asked them to use it to prepare a dinner.
Li Wa smiled and stopped and said: "The etiquette between host and guest should not be like this. We poor people are willing to pay for tonight's expenses. Please have some simple rice with you, and the rest will wait. Let’s talk about it later.” She refused firmly and never agreed to accept the fine silk. After a while, they moved to the west hall. The tents and beds in the hall were dazzling, and the bedclothes, pillows and quilts were all luxurious and beautiful. So they lit candles and served dishes. There was a lot of delicacies from mountains and seas. After the meal, the old lady got up and left. . The conversation between the young master and Li Wa became intimate and casual. They were joking and having a great time. The young master said, "I walked by your house by chance some time ago, and I happened to see you at the door. Since then, I have always missed you. Even when I was sleeping and eating, I never forgot you for a moment." Li Wa replied, "The same is true in my heart. .
The young master said: "I came here today not only to rent a house, but also to realize my lifelong wish. But I don't know what my luck is." Before he finished speaking, the old lady came. Asked what they were talking about, the young master told her everything. The old lady smiled and said: "Between men and women, the desire for love originally existed.
If the relationship is compatible, even if it is the order of the parents, it cannot be stopped. My little girl is really naive, how can I be by your side? The young master immediately walked down the steps, thanked her and said, "I am willing to dedicate myself as a slave to repay you." The old lady then recognized him as her son-in-law, and they had a good drink before leaving. At dawn, the young master moved all his luggage and stayed at Li's house. From then on, he went into hiding, stopped communicating with relatives and friends, and gathered with leading actors, actresses, and celebrities every day to eat, drink, and have fun. When the money in his bag ran out, he sold his horses, vehicles, and later his children. After more than a year, all the servants and horses of the money were gone. Slowly, the old lady became more and more indifferent to him, but Li Wa's feelings for him became stronger and stronger.
One day, Li Wa said to the young master: "You and I have been in love for a year, and we are not pregnant yet. I have often heard that the Bamboo Forest Temple is very efficacious. I plan to go there and offer sacrifices to pray to the gods." "Okay?" The young master didn't know this was their plan, but he was very happy. He then deposited his clothes in the pawn shop, prepared cattle, sheep, pigs and sacrificial wine, and went to the Bamboo Forest Temple with Li Wa to pay his respects. They stayed there for two nights before returning. The young master followed Li Wa's car on a donkey, and when he arrived at the north gate of Xuanyangli, Li Wa said to him: "Go east from here to an alley, which is my aunt's house. Let's go have a rest and see her." "Okay?" The young master did as she asked. They walked less than a hundred steps forward, and sure enough they saw a gate that could pass through for carriages and horses. Looking inside, I saw that the house was very spacious. Li Wa's maid called the young master from behind the cart and said, "Here we are." The young master got off the donkey, and a man happened to come out and asked, "Who is it?" She replied, "It's Li Wa." The man went in to report. After a while, an old woman came out of the car. She was about forty years old. When she saw the young master, she asked, "Is my niece here?" Li Wa got out of the car, and the old woman came up to her and said, "Why?" "Why haven't you come for a long time?" After saying this, they looked at each other and smiled. Li Wa introduced the young master to meet her.
After seeing each other, we walked into the side courtyard of Xijimen together. There is a mountain pavilion in the courtyard, green bamboo trees, and a ground pond and water pavilion that are rare and elegant. The young master said to Li Wa, "Is this my aunt's private residence?" Li Wa didn't answer with a smile and faltered with other words. After a while, they will offer tea fruits, which are very precious and rare. Just after the meal, a man on a fast horse, covered in sweat, came galloping over and said to Li Wa: "Your mother is seriously ill. She almost doesn't recognize anyone anymore." You'd better go back right away. "Li Wa said to her aunt, "I'm very confused. I'll go back on horseback first, and then let the carriage come back, and you can come with the husband." The young master planned to go with her. After her aunt said a few words to her maid, she waved the young master to wait outside the door and said, "The old woman is about to die. You should discuss with me about funeral arrangements to solve Li Wa's urgent needs. How can you just go back with her?" ?” The young master had no choice but to stay and calculate the expenses of the funeral and fasting sacrifices together. It was getting late, and the carriage still hadn't arrived. My aunt said, "I haven't received a reply yet. What's going on? You go and see them quickly. I'll be here soon." The young master left. When I arrived at Li's old house, I saw that the doors and windows were tightly locked and sealed with mud.
The young master was shocked and asked her neighbor. The neighbor said: "The Li family originally rented the house here, and the lease term has expired. The landlord has taken back the house. The old lady has moved, and it has been two days." The young master asked: "Where did she move to?" Answer "I don't know where it is," she said. The young master planned to rush back to Xuanyangli to ask her aunt, but it was already too late and he probably wouldn't be able to make it in time. He had no choice but to take off his clothes, exchange meals, and rent a bed for the night. The young master was so angry that he never closed his eyes from night to dawn. At dawn, he set off on his donkey. When I arrived at Aunt Li Wa's door, I knocked on the door repeatedly, but no one answered for the whole meal. The young master shouted several times, and a man who looked like an official came out slowly. The young master hurriedly asked him, "Is aunt here?" He replied, "There is no Aunt Shidu here." The young master said, "I was here yesterday evening. Why? Shidu hid her!" Asked whose house this was, the man replied: "This is Cui Shangshu's residence. Someone rented this courtyard yesterday and said he was waiting for her cousin who came from afar. He left before evening." The young master was frightened, confused, and almost mad with anger, but he didn't know what to do, so he had to go back to look for the old residence in the government.
The owner of the house took pity on him and brought him food. The young master was so resentful that he didn't eat for three days. As a result, he became seriously ill. After more than ten days, his condition became even more serious. The owner of the house was afraid that he would become ill, so he moved him to a funeral shop. He was dying day after day, and everyone in the shop felt sorry for him, and they took turns feeding him. Later, the young master's condition improved slightly and he was able to stand up with the help of crutches. From then on, the funeral store asked him to do something every day, take care of the spiritual accounts, and get some compensation to support his life. After several months, he gradually recovered. Whenever I hear elegy being sung, I lament that I am not as good as the deceased, sob and cry, unable to control my sadness. When I get back, I will learn to sing dirges. The young master was a smart man, and soon he sang the elegy very well. Even in the entire city of Chang'an, no one can compare with him. At first, the two funeral shops here competed with each other for superiority. The carriages and sedans in the shops to the east are all extremely gorgeous, nothing can compare with them, only the elegies can be sung poorly. The owner of the shop on the east side knew that the young master's elegy was exquisite, so he collected 20,000 yuan to hire him.
The senior among his friends taught him his best skills, secretly taught him new singing techniques, and also gave him singing support.
For dozens of days, no one knew about it. The owners of the two shops made an appointment and said, "Let's each display the funeral utensils on Chengcheng Tianmen Street and compete. The loser will be fined 50,000 to prepare wine and food for guests, okay?" Both parties agreed. So the person signed a deed, signed and pledged it as a guarantee, and then exhibited the tools. Men, women and children of all ages came to visit, tens of thousands of people gathered. So the local security guard reported to the thief-catching officer, and the thief-catching officer reported to Jing Zhaoyin. People from all over came here, and the streets and alleys in the whole city were deserted. The two funeral shops started to display vehicles, sedans, ceremonials and other utensils from morning until noon, and the shops on the west side could not win. The owner felt that he could not live up to his reputation, so he built a high platform in the south corner of the place. A bearded man came holding a big bell, and there were several people surrounding him. So he twitched his beard and raised his eyebrows, held his wrists, nodded, stepped onto the high platform, and then sang the elegy (White Horse). He always relied on it to win, looking around as if no one was watching. He won unanimous praise from everyone and believed that he was unique and no opponent could overwhelm him.
After a while, the owner of the funeral shop in the east also set up a stage at the north corner of the place. A young man wearing a black turban, followed by five or six people, walked onto the stage holding a long-handled feather fan. , this is the young master. He straightened his clothes, moved slowly, cleared his throat, and then began to make a sound, looking as if he was overwhelmed with grief. What he sang was the dirge of (Xie Lu), his voice was clear and clear, and his voice vibrated the trees. Before the elegy was sung, the listeners were already covering their faces with lamentation and weeping. The owner of the west shop was laughed at by everyone and felt even more ashamed. He secretly left the lost money in front of him and slipped away. The surrounding audience stared at the young master in surprise. He was completely unexpected. Prior to this, the emperor had just issued an edict, ordering officials from other places to come to the capital once a year, which was called "incorporation."
It happened that the young master’s father was in the capital at that time, so he and his colleagues changed into casual clothes and went to watch. An old servant, the husband of the young master's wet nurse, saw the young master's behavior and words and wanted to recognize him but did not dare, so he shed tears sadly. The young master's father was surprised and asked him. The old servant then reported: "The singer's appearance is exactly like the master's dead son." Rongyang Gong said: "My son brought extra money to kill the robbers, how could he be here?" After saying that, he also cried. After they returned, the servant found an opportunity and hurried back there, asking his companions: "Who sang just now? He sang so well!" They all said, "So-and-so's son." Asked his name, The name of the young master has been changed.
The servant was extremely shocked; he slowly walked over and got closer to look at him carefully. When the young master saw the servant, his expression changed, and he turned around to hide in the crowd. The servant grabbed his sleeve and said, "Aren't you a master?" After saying that, the two of them hugged each other and cried. The old servant took him back in a car. When he arrived at his residence, his father scolded him: "You have degraded your character to such an extent that you have insulted my family! What shame do you have to come to see me?" So the father and son walked out to the east of Xingyuan Garden in the west of Qujiang, and his father stripped him. He took off his clothes and whipped him hundreds of times with a riding crop. The young master couldn't bear the pain and passed out. His father left him and walked away alone.
When the young master was taken away by someone, the master of the young master asked people who were close to him to follow him secretly. At this time, he came back and told his friends what happened to the young master, and everyone was sad about it. . The master asked two men to take reed mats to bury his body. When they arrived there, they felt that there was still a little heat in the young master's heart. ) One person hurriedly helped him up. After a long time, the young master finally regained his breath. So they carried him back together. I fed him soup water through a reed pipe, and he woke up after a night. More than a month later, he still couldn't lift his arms and legs. The whipped areas were so ulcerated and dirty that his companions began to hate him, and one night they left him by the roadside. Passers-by took pity on him and often threw some leftover food to him so that he could satisfy his hunger. After a hundred days, the young master was able to stand up with a cane. He was wearing a cotton-padded jacket, which had hundreds of patches and was as tattered as a hanging quail. Holding a broken can in his hand, he walked back and forth in the alleys, begging for food.
From autumn to winter, I would go into toilets and cellars at night, and wander around markets and shops during the day. One day it snowed heavily, and the young master was forced by the cold and hunger to go out in the snow. The sound of begging was so pitiful that everyone who heard it felt miserable and sad. It was snowing heavily at that time, and most of the doors were closed. The young master arrived at the east gate of Anyi Village and walked north along the inner wall. After passing seven or eight houses, there was a door that happened to be open on the left half. This was Li Wa's residence. The young master didn't know, so he kept shouting: "I'm hungry! I'm freezing!" The voice was so sad that it was unbearable to hear.
Li Wa heard it in the room and said to her maid: "This must be the young master. I heard his voice. After saying that, he ran out quickly. I saw that the young master was as skinny as a stick, covered with scabies, and already He was no longer like a human being. Li Wa was very excited and said to him, "Aren't you Zheng Lang?" The young master was so angry that he fainted and couldn't say a word, so he just nodded. Li Wa stepped forward and hugged his neck, wrapped him in an embroidered short jacket, helped him back to the west wing, and cried uncontrollably: "It is my fault that you have ended up in this situation today!" She cried and passed out. , it took a long time to wake up again.
The old woman was shocked and ran over and said, "What's wrong!" Li Wa said, "This is the young master."
The old woman hurriedly said, "He should be driven away. Why did he get here!" Li Wa said The baby glanced back at her seriously and said, "It shouldn't be like this. He is a son of a good family. Suddenly he drove a gorgeous car and brought luggage full of treasures to my house. The money was all spent in one year. We worked together to set up a conspiracy to abandon and drive him away. It was simply not a human thing to do to make him lose his ambition and be looked down upon by his relatives and friends. It was the nature of a father and a son. My father cut off his kindness and abandoned him after beating him to death. Everyone in the world knows that the young master has fallen into this state because of me. The young master’s relatives are all over the court. One day the relatives in power will find out the reason and disaster will come. We are in trouble. Not to mention bullying, ghosts and gods will not protect you, so don’t bring trouble to yourself. I have been your daughter for ten years, and the money you have spent on me is more than a thousand dollars. It's more than ten years old. I am willing to use the expenses of your food and clothing for the next ten years to redeem myself. I want to find another place to live with him. The place where he lives is not far away. I can come to greet you sooner or later. If you agree, my wish will also be fulfilled. That's enough."
The old woman thought that her ambition was irreversible, so she had no choice but to agree. After Li Wa paid the ransom to the old woman, there was still a hundred gold left. She rented an empty yard four or five houses away in the north corner. So she took a bath and made clothes for the young master. I made soup and porridge to moisten his intestines, and then used butter to moisten his internal organs. After more than ten days, I started to feed the young master some delicacies from the mountains and seas. All expensive turbans, shoes and socks were given to him. Within a few months, the young master's skin became plumper. After a year, he recovered as well as before. After some time, Li Wa said to the young master: "Your body has recovered and your ambition is strong. You should think deeply and meditate on your previous studies. Can you review it again?" The young master thought for a while and said: (I only remember one-tenth." Li Wa asked the young master to drive out, and the young master followed on horseback. When they went to the bookstore selling books at the south side gate of Qiting, she asked the young master to choose some books to buy. In total, he would enjoy it. After paying a hundred gold, they loaded all the books on the car and brought them back. Li Wa asked the young master to abandon his distractions and concentrate on studying, working tirelessly day and night. Li Wa often sat with the young master until late at night.
Whenever he saw that he was tired, he would advise him to practice poetry to relax. After two years, he had made great achievements in his studies. There was no classic in the world that he had not read. It’s time to take the exam.” Li Wa said, “No. We should also become more proficient and familiar with our studies to cope with various exams.” Another year later, Li Wa said, “It’s time to take the exam.” The young master passed the A-level exam in one fell swoop. . His reputation spread throughout the Ministry of Rites. Even the elders were in awe after seeing his article, and they all wanted to marry their daughter to him, but they couldn't do it. Li Wa said, "You can't do it now. If you are a scholar now." Once you get a title, you think you can get an important position in the court and become famous all over the world. You have behaved badly and had low moral character in the past. You should be different from other literati in order to win again and again. He made friends with many literati and became the leader among famous people. From then on, the young master became more and more diligent and hardworking, and his reputation became higher and higher. , ranked first, and was awarded the position of joining the army in Chengbufu. All the officials below the third prince became his friends. When the prince was about to take office, Li Wa said to him: "Now that you have returned to your original appearance, I no longer have it." I'm sorry for you. I would like to spend my remaining years to support my mother. You should marry a lady from a wealthy family and let her take charge of the housekeeping. Don't get married within or outside your in-law family. Ruin yourself. Try to cherish yourself. I will leave from now on." The young master cried, "If you leave me, I will kill myself." Li Wa refused, and the young master begged harder and harder. Sincerely. Li Wa said, "I'll take you across the river and let me come back when you reach Jianmen." Gongyu had no choice but to agree. After more than a month's journey, they arrived at Jianmen and received him. The edict granting the official position was issued by the young master's father, who came to the court from Changzhou and was appointed as the Yin of Chengdu and the interviewer of Jiannan.
Twelve days later, the young master arrived. The father didn't dare to recognize him, but he was shocked when he saw the names of his grandfather's official positions on the post. He asked him to go up the steps, stroked his back and cried bitterly for a long time. Then he said, "Let us make peace between father and son." So he asked him the reason for the incident, and the young master told him the whole story in detail. Duke Rong Yang was very surprised and asked where Li Wa was. The young master replied, "She sent me here." , I was planning to let her go back."
My father said, "This can't be done. "On the first day, he asked the chariot, horse and young master to go to Chengdu first, and asked Li Wa to rent a house in Jianmen for her to live in. The next day, the matchmaker was asked to do the matchmaking, and all six gifts were prepared, and then he came to greet her, and they became an official couple. After Li Wa got married, she conducted sacrifices all year round in compliance with the rules. She abided by women's ethics and ran the house in a strict and orderly manner. She was very popular with her parents-in-law. A few years later, the young master's parents both died, and she followed the etiquette and observed filial piety very conscientiously. There was Ganoderma lucidum growing beside her thatched cottage where she kept her filial piety, and three flowers bloomed on one spike. The local governor reported the matter to the emperor. Dozens more white swallows built their nests on the ridge of her roof.
The emperor was surprised and increased the level of the reward even more. When the period of filial piety expired, the son was promoted to important positions one after another.
In ten years, he served as governor of several counties. Li Wa was also named Mrs. Wei Guo. They gave birth to four sons, all of whom became high officials, the lowest being Taiyuan Yin. The brothers all married into the highest-ranking families, and no one from the famous families inside and outside the capital could compare with them.