Chapter 16 Poverty Story

The story described below is originally an article in Strange Tales from a Liaozhai Studio, and the original text has 1,834 characters.If it is written on the 400-character manuscript paper we usually use, it is only enough to fill four and a half sheets, which can be regarded as a miniature short story.Although the story is short, in the process of reading, all kinds of fantasies come out like springs, and it will never lose to a short masterpiece of about 30 manuscript papers, and it is also enjoyable to read.I try to write those fantasies.Perhaps such behavior will be considered as deviating from the essence of writing and be criticized, but for me, the stories in "Strange Tales from a Liaozhai Studio" are not so much classical literature as they are closer to rural legends.As a writer of the new generation in the 20th century, I took the ancient legend as the skeleton, let unrealistic fantasies spread freely, so as to pin my own feelings, and boldly declared to readers that this was creation, without feeling that I had committed any crimes. Heinous crime.If you want to establish a new style, you can only discover the overtones of Romanticism and strive to develop a writing direction, nothing else.

A long time ago, in the Mukoshima area of ​​Edo, there lived a man named Sainosuke Mayama with an unremarkable name, who lived in extreme poverty.At the age of thirty-two, he is still a bachelor, and he is crazy about chrysanthemums. Once he hears that there are good seedlings, no matter how far or near, he will go and beg the other party to give him his love.In the early autumn of a certain year, he heard that there were good seedlings in Numazu, Izu. He immediately packed his bags and set off. After crossing the mountains in Hakone and arriving in Numazu, he searched in all directions and finally bought one or two precious seedlings.He took out the oiled paper he had prepared in advance, wrapped the seedlings carefully like a treasure, and set off on his way home happily.

On the way back, I passed the mountains of Hakone again. From the mountains, I could see the scenery of Odawara City at a glance. Suddenly, there was the sound of horseshoes behind me.Stepping on slow steps, the voice neither intended to approach him, nor would it leave too far away, and always followed behind him at a distance.Sainosuke was so proud of buying Kanae that he didn't care about the sound of horseshoes.However, after passing Odawara City and walking forward for two, three, and four miles, the sound of horseshoes still kept the original distance, pattering and walking.At this moment, Sainosuke finally noticed that something was wrong, and when he looked back, he saw a beautiful young man riding an extremely skinny horse, walking about ten meters behind him.Seeing Sainosuke turn around, the boy seemed to smile slightly at him.Since the other party showed kindness, he was embarrassed to pretend not to see it, and walked on on his own, so he had to stop and smiled at the boy.The boy got off his horse after approaching him and said:

What a beautiful day. (①The calculation unit of distance is about 1.818 meters per room.) Yes, the weather is not bad.Caizhisuke agreed. The young man took the rein and led the horse again, and continued walking, Sainosuke also walked side by side with him.Looking carefully at the young man's appearance, he does not appear to be from a warrior's family. Both his character and temperament are noble and elegant, his clothes are also tasteful, his speech is informal, and his attitude is generous. Are you going to Edo?Hearing such a kind question from him, Sainosuke responded naturally and casually.

Yes, I'm going back to Edo. It turns out that you are from Edo, where did you go back home from?For all chance encounters on the journey, there is always such a welcome and reward.Sainosuke let go of his guard at this point, and told the boy all the purpose of this trip. The young man's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "So that's how it is. It's really great that you are someone who loves chrysanthemums."I also know a thing or two about appreciating chrysanthemums. I think there is no difference between good and bad seedlings. It all depends on whether the cultivation and irrigation methods are just right.The boy talked a little bit about his cultivation method.Sainosuke, who is obsessed with chrysanthemums, chatted more vigorously as soon as he started talking.

Yeah?But I thought that good seedlings were a must, for example, to take this opportunity to show his profound knowledge of chrysanthemums as much as possible.The young man didn't directly refute it, but from the simple questions he interrupted from time to time, he vaguely showed his extraordinary and rich experience in chrysanthemums.The more Sainosuke talked, the more he felt unconfident, and his voice became a little choked up later. I have nothing to say, but to say that a bunch of theories are nothing but empty talk, let you see it for yourself, there is no other way. Makes sense.The boy nodded calmly.Cai Zhisuke was eager to hold the other party, and let the young man appreciate his garden and hear him exclaim, otherwise he really couldn't swallow this breath.

Let's do this, what do you think?Cai Zhisuke was restless and lost all his strength. How about I invite you to come to the humble house for a short rest later?Just a glance is enough, please be sure to come and see the chrysanthemums I planted, don't refuse. The young man smiled and said: We have other important things to do, so we don't have time to spare.To be honest, during this trip to Edo, I had to quickly find a job to make ends meet. That kind of thing is a trivial matter!Cai Zhisuke is already riding a tiger. It's not too late to go to the house to rest for a while, and then look for a job.In short, you must first appreciate the chrysanthemums I planted.

Now the trouble is serious. The young man withdrew his smile, and got into the long exam with a serious face.Walked forward in silence for a while.Suddenly raised his head and said: Actually, we are from Numazu, and Tomoto Saburo is my name. Both my parents passed away in my early years, and only my sister and I depended on each other.Recently, my sister suddenly became bored with Numazu, and said that she wanted to go to Edo anyway, so she hastily packed up her belongings and was now on her way to Edo.Even when I arrived in Edo, I had no other plans.I was in a state of anxiety along the way, and I really didn't have the time to talk about chrysanthemums.I don't dislike chrysanthemums either, so I chatted a few more words unconsciously.Think about it carefully, now we don't have the time and energy to talk about chrysanthemums.I want to stop here, please, please forget about me.So, we bid farewell.Said the boy in a mournful tone and greeted him with his eyes. Just as he was about to get on the horse, Sainosuke grabbed his sleeve tightly.

Wait a minute.That being the case, I should welcome you to my humble house for a while.Don't refuse anymore. Although I am poor, the trivial matter of taking care of your siblings is not difficult for me.Leave everything to me!Didn't you just say that there is a sister traveling with you, what about her? Looking back, he realized that there was a girl in red travel clothes standing in the shadow of the skinny horse, and Sainosuke couldn't help but blushed. Sainosuke's kindness was hard to resist, and the two sisters and brothers finally agreed to live in Mukoshima's shabby house as a temporary shelter.When he arrived at Sainosuke's house, he saw that the house was completely empty, and found that it was far more impoverished than he had described.The sister and brother couldn't help but looked at each other and sighed.Cai Zhisuke didn't care about it, and before he even changed his clothes, he happily took his sister and brother to the chrysanthemum field, boasting about himself.Then he made an arbitrarily good idea to ask the sister and brother to temporarily live in the Nawu in the chrysanthemum field.Since Sainosuke lives in a messy thatched hut without even a place to stand, Nawu is more suitable for long-term living. (②The Japanese call the farmhouse used to store tools and objects as Naya.)

Sister, this is impossible.I didn't expect that we would be entertained by such people.Brother Tao Ben, while unpacking his luggage in Nawu, whispered to his sister. yes.My sister smiled, but let it be.The yard here seems to be very big. In the future, you can help plant more chrysanthemums to repay their kindness. Oh, sister, don't you want to live here for a long time? That's right.I like the environment here very much.After speaking, he blushed.This sister is about twenty years old, her complexion is like creamy white jade, and her figure is fine and slender. The next morning, Sainosuke and Tao Ben's younger brother suddenly had an argument.It turned out that the old skinny horse that the sisters and younger brothers used to take turns riding along the way was clearly tied up in the corner of the chrysanthemum field last night, but now it is nowhere to be seen.This morning, Sainosuke woke up early and visited the chrysanthemum field as usual, but the horse was gone by then.Moreover, there were traces of horses trampling everywhere in the field, and the chrysanthemums had been gnawed to the ground.Sainosuke couldn't believe it, and hurried to knock on Naya's door.The younger brother immediately got up and answered the door.

What's the matter, what's the matter? Come and take a look, look at that skinny horse in your family, messing up my good chrysanthemum field.I just don't want to live. I see.The boy answered him calmly.What about my horse? I don't care about the horse's life or death. It probably escaped. What a pity! What did you say?That skinny horse! To say it is a skinny horse is too much!It is a nimble horse.let's go!We need to find it quickly.As for your chrysanthemum field, it's no big deal, just let it go. What did you say?Sainosuke's face turned blue, and he yelled angrily. You brat, how dare you insult my chrysanthemum field! At this time, my sister came out of Nawu with a smile on her face. Saburo, please apologize to others.There was nothing wrong with the skinny horse, I let him go.Don't be in a hurry to find a horse, it's important to help others clean up the broken chrysanthemum field.Isn't this a good opportunity to repay your favor? what the hell.Saburo sighed and muttered to himself: Could it be that you have already made up your mind? Brother, reluctantly began to tidy up the chrysanthemum field.If you look carefully, some leaves are gnawed to pieces, and some are trampled on the ground.These dying chrysanthemums were replanted by San Lang's hands, and soon returned to life. The stems were full of water, the buds were thick and tender, and the shriveled leaves slowly pulsated and stretched out firmly.Sainosuke was speechless.But he is a celebrity who raises chrysanthemums, and he also has self-respect.So he folded the sleeves of his robe, forced himself to be calm and said coldly: Then, please continue to work hard!After finishing speaking, he returned to the main house, covered himself with a quilt and pretended to be asleep, then got up again, and peeked at the chrysanthemum field quietly through the gap in the rain window. That night, Saburo Tao Ben came to the main house full of joy. I'm here to apologize to you for what happened this morning.There is something I would like to discuss with you. I exchanged opinions with my sister just now, and it is a bit presumptuous to say it. We know that your life is not very easy, so I want to rent half of the chrysanthemum field, plant high-quality chrysanthemums for you, and then get I'm going to sell them in the area of ​​Asakusa, what do you think?I hope I can plant the best chrysanthemums for you to show my gratitude. Cai Zhisuke is still in a bad mood because of the damage to his self-esteem caused by Saburo planting chrysanthemums this morning. I reject.I didn't expect you to be just a despicable villain. Seizing the opportunity, Sainosuke put on a disdainful and contemptuous tone, and said unreasonably. What a surprise!I originally thought that you are an elegant person who loves chrysanthemums, but I didn't expect that you would sell my beloved chrysanthemums in exchange for daily necessities. Wouldn't it be no different from a trafficker, and it would be a humiliation to chrysanthemums.It's too nasty to exchange my noble interests for money, so I refuse.It's almost like the tone of a samurai. Saburo got angry after hearing this, and his tone became tough. I don't think it's the evil karma of greed for wealth and honor to earn daily necessities by relying on the strength bestowed by God.You despise it, think it is vulgar, you are really wrong, and you speak like a dandy, don't be self-righteous.As a human being, it is true that one should not use improper means to pursue wealth, but exaggerating poverty is also undesirable. When did I boast that I was poor?I am a legacy left by some ancestors. I live alone with more than enough money. I don't expect any glory and wealth.Stop meddling in there. The two started arguing again. You guys are stubborn. It doesn't matter if you say I'm stubborn or a dude.I, I only want to share the joys, sorrows, sorrows and joys with my beloved chrysanthemum, and I am willing to live such a life. OK, I see.Saburo nodded with a wry smile.By the way, there is one more thing I want to ask for your consent.Behind Nawu, there is an open space of about 10 pings, as long as it is that land, can you lease it to us? I am not a mean man.I'm afraid the open space behind Nawu is not enough, right?That's good, anyway, half of the chrysanthemum field was abandoned, and nothing was planted.Let me lend you the half!Use it however you want.But let me put the ugly words first, I will never have any contact with the despicable guy who is in the chrysanthemum business. From today on, we will keep our own business and have nothing to do with each other, so treat me as a stranger. I see what you mean.Saburo doesn't say any more, just follow your suggestion, then I will rent half of the chrysanthemum field.One more thing, what do you think?There are piles of discarded flower seedlings behind the house, can you give them to me? You don't need to report to me about this kind of sesame mung bean. So the two broke up unhappy.On the next day, Sainosuke deliberately divided the chrysanthemum field into two halves, and erected a high fence at the border, so that they could not see each other, and the two families broke up. Finally, when autumn came, Sainosuke's field was full of beautiful chrysanthemums. He was very concerned about the condition of his neighbor's field.One day, when he peeped quietly through a chink in the fence, he was startled.I have never seen such a large chrysanthemum in my life, which is full of a whole flower field.Nawu has also been refurbished, and now it looks like a beautiful and livable luxury house.After watching Sainosuke, I had mixed feelings in my heart and it was difficult to calm down.It is obvious that Sainosuke has completely lost in this secretly contested chrysanthemum battle.What's more, they even built their houses so beautifully, so they must have made a lot of money by selling the chrysanthemums.How nasty!I don't know whether it was out of anger or jealousy, various complex emotions were stirring in his heart, he couldn't bear it any longer, decided to show the other party a little color, finally crossed the fence, broke into the courtyard next door, looked carefully at these chrysanthemums, the more he looked at them, the more he felt that each one was better than the other. looks pretty.The texture of the petals is thick, stretching out powerfully, blooming to the fullest, and the flowers are elastic, as if they would vibrate slightly when touched lightly, blooming with all their might.After a closer look, I found that these were the flowers from the broken flower seedlings that I had abandoned in the corner of Nawu. Wow, he unconsciously made a sound of surprise. Welcome, we have been waiting for a long time.A familiar voice came from behind, and Sainosuke turned his head in a panic, only to see younger brother Tao Ben standing there with a smile on his face. I lost!Sainosuke said loudly.I think I do things aboveboard, and since I lost, I have to be brave enough to admit defeat.Please accept me as an apprentice, let the past be told, he held his chest and made a sliding motion.Just let it go down the drain!only No, let's not go any further.I'm not as mentally clean as you.As you surmise, I continue to trade chrysanthemums, so please don't take us lightly by that.Otherwise, my sister will always be angry about it.We are also working hard to make a living.Frankly speaking, we are not like you who inherited the ancestral property. If we do not rely on selling chrysanthemums for a living, we really have a dead end. Please forgive me for this.Let's take this opportunity to reconcile as before. As soon as he finished speaking, Saburo lowered his head, and Caizhisuke couldn't bear to see it, so he said: No, no, I can't help but feel heartbroken when you say that. In fact, I don't dislike you two.Besides, from now on, you will be my teacher Yangju, let me learn more from you.Sainosuke saluted Saburo honestly. In this way, the two reconciled temporarily, the fence was also removed, and the two families resumed their contacts with each other, but sometimes there were still some frictions. You must have some unique recipe to grow such beautiful chrysanthemums. No such thing.Before that, I have passed on all the knowledge of raising chrysanthemums to you without reservation. As the saying goes, the master introduces the door, the practice is in the individual, and the rest is the mystery of the fingertips.For me, raising chrysanthemums is all about feeling, how to translate it into language, I don't know.Perhaps, this is the so-called talent! The implication is that you are a genius and I am a fool?No matter how you teach it, I just can't learn it. It's really annoying for you to say that.Perhaps it should be said that I grow chrysanthemums to make a living. If one is not sold well, I will not be able to sustain my meals. I think maybe it is because I have risked my life that the flowers bloom so big.As for your cultivation of chrysanthemums, it is purely for interest and to satisfy your own curiosity and vanity.Natural mentality is very different. According to you, I should change my career to sell chrysanthemums, right?Wouldn't it be shameful for you to ask me to do such an indecent and despicable thing? No, I didn't say that.You are so stubborn, always so unreasonable. In this way, the two were unhappy again.Compared with Sainosuke's poverty, Tao Ben's family is getting richer and richer.In the first month of the following year, without the owner's permission, the sisters and brothers hired a carpenter and suddenly built a house.This house is located next to Sainosuke's thatched hut, almost connected together.When Cai Zhisuke saw this scene, he couldn't help thinking of breaking up with Tao Ben's family. One day, Saburo came to visit with a serious expression and said to Sainosuke: Please marry my sister.It seems that he said so in a tone of deliberation. After Sainosuke heard this, his cheeks immediately turned red.I remember seeing her for the first time, that gentle and pure demeanor, and I can't forget it from time to time.But because of the man's self-esteem, the two quarreled again for no reason. I'm so poor that I don't even have a bride price, and I'm not qualified to marry a wife.You are now a big family, how can I climb higher.Sainosuke was taunting Saburo again. No, everything belongs to you, my sister has already made up her mind.No dowry is required.As long as you are willing to move to our house on the line.My sister has always admired you. Isn't this measuring the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain?Sainosuke tried his best to hide his embarrassment. Don't mention it again.I also have my own house, and they want me to marry in, but there is no door.Let me tell you honestly, actually, I don't hate your sister, hahahaha.He seemed heroic and laughed a few times, but getting married is a shameful thing for a man, so I refused.When you go back, please tell your sister that if you don’t dislike the poor life, I welcome you at any time. The conversation between the two ended in a quarrel.However, that night, a white and weak butterfly suddenly rode the wind and sneaked into Sainosuke's dirty bedroom without a sound. I don't hate living in poverty!After speaking, he sneered and laughed.The girl's name is Huang Ying. So Sainosuke and Huang Ying lived in the hut for a while, and they lived in peace with each other. However, Huang Ying began to dig a hole in the wall of the hut, and also cut a hole in the outer wall of Tao Ben's house next door. In this way, you can freely enter and exit between the two.Some of the necessities of life, she moved from her original home one after another, and in the eyes of Sainosuke, she felt very uncomfortable. What a headache!Look, this stove, and this vase, which one was not moved from her mother's house?If a husband uses things from his wife's natal family, where should I put my face?You are not allowed to go back to get things in the future!Cai Zhisuke scolded his wife like this, Huang Ying always smiled and went home to get things from time to time.The self-proclaimed Cai Zhisuke had no choice but to make a large account book, recording the items Huang Ying moved from her natal home one by one, and wrote: Zuo Ji's items are temporarily deposited for safekeeping.However, looking around so far, all the items in the house were brought by Huang Ying, and none of them belonged to me. If I had to record item by item, I am afraid that no amount of books would be enough. Saizhisuke finally despaired. Thanks to you, I have finally become a husband who eats soft food, just like enjoying a rich life relying on the shade of my wife. This is the most dishonorable thing for a man.My life of poverty, which has been kept clean for thirty years, was completely destroyed because of your intervention.One night, Sainosuke sighed deeply again and complained to his wife. Even Huang Ying, who is usually gentle, showed a sad expression rarely. Maybe it's all my fault, but I only wanted to repay you, so I worked so hard to take care of everything in your life for you, but I didn't expect you to be such a clean and honest person who aspires to poverty.That being the case, why don't you sell my newly built house and all your belongings, and let you spend the money you get from the sale! Don't be silly, how could I take those dirty money! Then what do you want me to do?Huang Ying covered her face and wept. In order to repay your kindness, Saburo worked so hard to plant chrysanthemums every day, and went door to door to send flower seedlings desperately to earn money.What should you do to make yourself happy?There is a world of difference between you and me. There is no other way but to separate.In order to protect his face, he blurted out words at will, and let the situation evolve to this point. Sainosuke had to say insincere words: the pure will be clear, and the turbid will be turbid. This is my way of life.I have no right to dictate to others, so I will move out from this house.From tomorrow, I will build a hut in the corner of the courtyard and enjoy my formerly poor life. The more you say it, the more outrageous it becomes, but once a gentleman says it, it's hard to follow.In the early morning of the next day, Sainosuke immediately built a hut about a ping in the corner of the courtyard, and sat on the floor, shivering from the cold.However, after only living in poverty for two nights, he could no longer stand the cold weather.Finally, on the third night, the rain window of the main house slammed lightly. He looked in through the slit of the rain window and saw a smile on Huang Ying's fair face. There will be times when your obsession with cleanliness and cleanliness can't last. Sainosuke was deeply ashamed, and since then, he has stopped pointlessly persisting.When the cherry blossoms beside Modi first bloomed, the big house of Tao Ben's family had also been completed, and it was closely connected with Sainosuke's original thatched house, and there was no difference between the two families.Regarding these matters, Sainosuke never asked, and left everything to be handled by the Tao Ben family's sisters and brothers, while he often played shogi with his neighbors.One day, a family of three went out to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Modi, and found a good place to sit down. Sainosuke opened the heavy box④, picked up the wine he brought and started drinking.When persuading Saburo to drink, despite his sister's eyes, Saburo still didn't care to accept the wine glass. (③Japanese traditional chess skills. ④Multilayer square wooden boxes for food.) Sister, let me drink to my heart's content.Now the family is rich enough, even if I am gone, it is enough for my sister and brother-in-law to live a leisurely life without any worries.Frankly, I'm tired of growing chrysanthemums every day.After saying these wonderful words, Sanlang drank recklessly, and finally became unconscious from drinking, and fell asleep as soon as he fell down.Seeing that Saburo's body began to gradually melt, and finally turned into a wisp of smoke, slowly drifting in the air, leaving only his clothes and straw sandals.Sainosuke was astonished, he picked up his clothes carefully, and saw a juicy chrysanthemum seedling appearing on the ground.Only then did he realize that the Tao Ben sisters are not ordinary people, but the legendary Chrysanthemum Essence.However, out of admiration for their talents and emotions, Cai Zhisuke not only did not dislike them, but loved the sad chrysanthemum spirit Huang Ying.And the chrysanthemum seedling transformed by Saburo was transplanted into his garden. When the flowers bloom in autumn, the petals are light red, which is particularly eye-catching in the chrysanthemum field. When you smell it closely, the aroma of the wine immediately hits your nostrils.As for what happened to Huang Ying later?It is recorded in the original text: Huang Ying will die, and there is no other difference.In other words, she has always maintained the form of an ordinary woman without any change.