In ancient times, there was a scholar named Zhao Quan in Chengdu who liked to travel around. One spring, he rode to Nanyang, found a good inn, asked about interesting places, and went to Yanliu Alley that night. However, after he visited Yichun Courtyard, which had the most girls

In ancient times, Chengdu Prefecture had a scholar named Zhao Quan who liked to travel around. One spring, he rode to Nanyang , found a good inn, asked about interesting places, and went to Yanliu Alley that night. However, after he visited Yichun Courtyard, which had the most girls, he was not satisfied because he felt that the girls introduced to him by the old lady were all vulgar and vulgar. So, he planned to go back to the inn, find an interesting person, and drink with him.

Unexpectedly, before walking out of Yanliu Lane, an oily-haired and pink-faced old woman suddenly jumped out of a small room, holding his hand with a charming smile on her face and saying, "Sir, I have the most beautiful girl in Nanyang City at home, and she You can play music, chess, calligraphy and painting, it’s so interesting! Do you want to come with me and take a look?”

“There are so many girls in Yichun Court, but I don’t even see any beautiful ones. How dare you say that you have one here?” The most beautiful girl?" Zhao Quan sneered and pushed the old woman away. The old lady was not discouraged and continued to say with a smile, "If you don't believe me, just go and have a look in my room. If you take a look, you won't be deceived."

is quite right! Zhao Quan vented his anger and followed the old woman into the room. The lights in the room were very dim, but the fragrance was sultry. Before I walked a few steps, the beautiful sound of guzheng sounded again in the house. Zhao Quan felt a shiver in his heart and said secretly: Could this sound of the guzheng be played by that beautiful woman who knows all kinds of music, chess, calligraphy and painting?

"Ling'er, a guest is here!" After the old lady took Zhao Quan into a wing, she raised the bamboo curtain. Zhao Quan crouched and couldn't wait to take a look inside. I saw a young woman wearing white silk clothes, sitting next to a guzheng, playing the music skillfully and gracefully. Judging from her profile alone, she is much prettier than those girls in Yichun Courtyard. When she stopped what she was doing, turned her face sideways, and gave Zhao Quan a loving look, Zhao Quan was even more shocked and dumbfounded.

That's right, this girl named Ling'er is indeed very beautiful. It's not an exaggeration to describe her as a fish that sinks like a duck, and a flower that is shy of the moon.

"Ling'er has met the young master." The woman in white saw that Zhao Quan was also very talented, so she got up and walked to him and said a blessing. Zhao Quan was dumbfounded and at a loss for a moment.

"How about it, Master, I didn't lie to you, did I? Our Ling'er is indeed the most beautiful girl in Nanyang City, right?" When the old lady saw this, she was probably in trouble, so she said while the iron was hot, "A spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Master Master, if you want to spend the night with our Ling'er, please pay twenty taels of silver first. "

Twenty taels of silver is nothing but a piece of cake for Zhao Quan. But it seems a bit expensive for use here. Seeing Zhao Quan frowning, the old lady guessed that he was dissatisfied with the price, so she quickly smiled and said, "Miss Ling'er used to be an artist but not a prostitute. Tonight, she is willing to accompany the young master. This is the first time in her life that she has..."

It turns out That’s right! Zhao Quan nodded, immediately took out twenty taels of silver and handed it to the old lady. The old woman happily took it, and then she snickered as she opened the door, "I wish you a sweet dream tonight."

As soon as the old woman left, Zhao Quan couldn't wait to grab Ling'er's hand. Ling'er seemed a little embarrassed, her face turned red, and she lowered her head and said, "Don't worry, Master, Ling'er is yours tonight -"

"I'm not in a hurry, I just want to see your hands." How clever is it to play such a beautiful tune?" Zhao Quan's words quickly relieved Ling'er's nervousness. She couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "Master, if you like to listen to Ling'er playing the piano, let Ling'er play the piano just now. The first song was finished. "

"Will playing the piano so late affect the rest of the neighbors?" Zhao Quan usually has no shortage of women, but this Ling'er is so beautiful. At this moment, he just wants to hold her in his arms. inside. Seeing that he was no different from other men, Ling'er couldn't help but darken her face and said, "I originally thought that the young master was an elegant man, but I didn't expect that the young master is no different from those profligate sons."

These words made Zhao Quan blush. He had to restrain his frivolous actions, hugged Ling'er and said, "The main reason is that the girl is too beautiful, so Zhao couldn't help but make presumptuous actions. , please don’t be offended, Miss Ling’er. "

"You are my guest, no matter how unhappy I am, I won't be surprised. "Ling'er saw Zhao Quan admitting his mistake to her, and he quickly looked at him with admiration.

Zhao Quan was afraid that she would be angry again, and for a moment he didn't dare to think anything wrong, so he sat next to Ling'er and listened to her explain what she had just said. After playing the song, I have to say that the sound of the guzheng was so intoxicating. After hearing this, Zhao Quan couldn't help but ask, "My girl's piano skills are already better than those of countless literati. Even if I go to Yichun Academy to study." You can make a lot of money by playing this, but why does this girl want to make a living like this? "

"It's not because that Xie Yapo is greedy for money -" Talking about the sad thing, Ling'er couldn't help but burst into tears. After in-depth conversation, Zhao Quan learned that Ling'er lost his mother when he was five years old and his father when he was ten. His father was there. Before she died, she entrusted her to her uncle, but her uncle was a gambler. In order to raise gambling funds, he sold Ling'er to this Yapo named Xie for two taels of silver. She was well-behaved and smart, so she trained her hard during the past four years.

Not long ago, Ling'er had just turned fourteen. In that era, she was considered an adult, so Xie Yapo couldn't wait to take her. Come here to make a fortune. Of course, this Xie Yapo has more than one girl like Ling'er, but she is the only one who can get it. Therefore, she regards Ling'er as a cash cow and is looking for it all the time. The two men were guarding her door, fearing that if she didn't get what she wanted, they would run away secretly.

After Zhao Quan learned about Ling'er's experience, he felt even more pity for her. Of course, he also felt sorry for Xie Yapo. , and Uncle Ling'er, full of hatred. That night, he had the urge to take Ling'er away from this place of right and wrong, but when he opened the door, he saw the two fierce men standing outside. At this time, he was a little scared again, so he had to force himself to call Xie Yapo and ask, "Mom, if I want to buy Miss Ling'er, how much do you want? "

" bought? Haha, the young master must prepare at least ten thousand taels of silver! " Xie Yapo replied with a smile.

After hearing this number, Zhao Quan knew that this old woman was like a lion, asking for the price. So he did not bargain with her, and just replied lightly, "I understand." Then he closed the door from the inside. Seeing that Zhao Quan wanted to redeem himself, Ling'er was very moved and couldn't help crying, "Young master has this intention, and Ling'er is satisfied. But this Xie Yapo is greedy, and she will definitely not let me go without tens of thousands of taels of silver. "

" can be seen! "Zhao Quan nodded, quickly closed the door tightly, then pulled Ling'er to the bed and asked softly, "If I take you away secretly, would you be willing? "

" Of course I do. But the two big men outside, one named Ah Da and the other Ah Er, are not only extremely powerful, but also good at martial arts. They are almost always guarding the door of my room. How could the young master secretly take me away? Also, if Xie Yapo finds out about this, she will definitely try her best to harm you. Young Master, please don’t take any risks for me. "Ling'er expressed her worries.

Zhao Quan saw that she was always thinking about herself and wanted to save her even more, so he took his hand and said, "As long as you are willing to follow me, I will have a way to deal with them tomorrow. , you don’t have to worry about me. "

" If the young master can really take me out of the sea of ​​suffering, Ling'er will act like a cow or a horse from now on to repay the young master. "

After saying this, the two turned off the lights and went to bed, hugging each other and sleeping.

When he woke up the next day, Zhao Quan saw a trace of red on the bed. He was full of love for Ling'er and was more determined to take her with him. Plan to escape the sea of ​​misery. So that day, he directly gave Xie Yapo fifty taels of silver, saying that he would take Ling'er to visit the city for two days.

Xie Yapo accepted the money and happily agreed.However, she was not at ease with Zhao Quan and was always worried about what tricks this kid was playing, so she asked Ah Da and Ah Er to follow them secretly. Once she found something wrong between the two of them, she would immediately bring Ling Er back to Yanliu Lane.

Zhao Quan naturally knew that Ah Da and Ah Er were following them, so that morning, he took Ling Er to visit various scenic spots in the city. In the afternoon, he estimated that the two of them were tired from following him, so he took Ling'er to a longevity shop in the south of the city. Ah Da and Ah Er felt that it was unlucky to enter the longevity material shop, so they stayed outside the door to prevent them from going in.

At Xu time, the longevity food shop was almost closed, and Zhao Quan and Ling'er hadn't come out yet. Ada and Aer realized that something was wrong, and hurriedly broke into the shop to ask what was going on. Only then did they learn that an hour ago, Zhao Quan spent With ten taels of silver, he bought a carriage from the owner of the longevity material shop, and then drove away through the back door.

"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ah Da got angry and beat up the boss, then took Ah Er and chased towards the city gate. But by the time they caught up there, Zhao Quan and Ling'er had almost run out of Nanyang.

After Xie Yapo learned the news, she was furious and said, "That guy named Zhao is really not a thing, but he can run away from a monk, but he can't run away from a temple! Ah Da Er, you guys pack your things quickly and go to Chengdu! We must take Ling Ling Catch that damn girl back for me!"

Xie Yapo has been traveling all over the country for decades, so she has seen a lot. Last night, she spoke a few words to Zhao Quan, and after hearing his accent, she already guessed that he came from Chengdu. Therefore, she estimated that Zhao Quan would take Ling'er to Chengdu. So, she asked Ah Da and Ah Er to quickly set off to Chengdu to look for him.

Just as Xie Yapo expected, after Zhao Quan took Ling'er out of Nanyang, Ling'er had nowhere to go and had to go to Chengdu with him. Since Zhao Quan was not yet married, when he returned home, he asked Ling Er himself and his mother what they wanted. They both had no objections, so he married Ling Er again.

After getting married, the two respected each other as guests and lived a very happy and sweet life.

However, when things go to extremes, they must be reversed, and when extreme happiness leads to sadness. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, the two villains A Da and A Er finally found Zhao Quan and Ling Er. In order to vent their anger, these two men beat Zhao Quan half to death in his sleep, and then took Ling Er and left Chengdu overnight.

Zhao Quan lay in bed for three days and three nights before he could barely get off the ground. At this time, he expected that Ling'er was in danger, so he ignored the pain in his body and hurriedly took two servants with him and returned to Nanyang to find someone. However, a few days later, Zhao Quan went to Yanliu Lane and inquired about that day, and found out that Xie Yapo had checked out of the hotel the day before. As for where she and her gang went, not even the landlord knew. Zhao Quan had no choice but to take two servants and search aimlessly in Nanyang. After searching for more than forty days, Ling'er was nowhere to be seen.

At this time, the servant Ma Hua said, "Master, that Xie Yapo must have expected that you would come back to look for someone, so she must have left here with her wife. Let's not do useless work here."

"Master "Sir, this place is close to Xinyang and Xuchang . It is very likely that Xie Yapo took his wife to these two cities. Why don't we go to these two places to try our luck?" Luo Ming, another servant, said again.

Zhao Quan felt that what the two of them said was very reasonable, so he took a carriage that day and went to Xinyang to find someone first.

Xie Yapo is in the leather business. Even if she moves to a new city, she will definitely not give up her old business. Therefore, after arriving in Xinyang this time, Zhao Quan first went to explore the willow land in the city. After thorough investigation and secret investigation, there is still no news about Granny Xie and Ling Er.

After searching in the city for half a month, Zhao Quan had to take two servants to Xuchang. However, after searching according to the old method, there was still no news about the two of them.At this time, the money brought by the three of them was almost used up, and the two old servants were a little discouraged. They advised Zhao Quan, "Master, I'm afraid the fate between you and your wife has come to an end! If you continue to look for it like this, It's useless. Why don't we return to Chengdu as soon as possible and make other plans?"

"Yes, Master, we have many beautiful girls in Chengdu. If we really can't find a wife, just marry another one -"

Two people What he said made sense, and Zhao Quan was desperate, so he went home with tears in his eyes. However, after returning to Chengdu for a few months, Zhao Quan still often misses people when he sees things and cannot forget Ling Er. So in the spring of the next year, he rode his horse again and went to Henan Prefecture alone to look for someone. However, things went wrong. After searching in Nanyang, Xinyang, Xuchang and other old places to no avail, Zhao Quan went to the nearby Xiangfan City to look for someone.

One afternoon, Zhao Quan was tired of searching, so he went to a noodle shop on the roadside for dinner. Unexpectedly, before I had eaten a few mouthfuls, I saw an old beggar woman in her 60s or 70s, holding a crying baby, walked up to the noodle shop owner, and said pitifully, "Boss, please do me a favor and give me a sip of noodle soup." , This child has not eaten for two days, and he will probably starve to death next time. "

"Old lady, is this your son?" The shop owner didn't nod, and just asked with a smile.

The old beggar woman shook her head and said, "It's not mine. I picked it up by the stone bridge. Seeing how pitiful he was, I brought him here."

The shop owner sneered, "You can't even feed yourself. , still want to raise him? I advise you to just put him back where you picked him up, but don't mind so much other things."

The old beggar said nothing with tears in his eyes. Zhao Quan couldn't stand it anymore, so he spent a few pennies to buy a bowl of noodles and a bowl of noodle soup. Then he waved to the old lady and said, "Mom, it's cold, come here and have a bowl of noodles to keep warm."

" Thank you for your kindness." The old lady heard that Zhao Quan said he was treating her to food for free, so she hurriedly sat down next to him and fed the baby some noodle soup, and then she wolfed down the noodles.

Zhao Quan saw that the baby not only stopped crying after drinking the noodle soup, but also stared at him and smiled stupidly. His heart was agitated and he murmured, "This child looks quite well-behaved, but his life is too pitiful. . "

"Yes, it's really pitiful to be disliked by others all your life." After finishing her meal, the old lady wiped her mouth with her sleeve and suddenly knelt down to Zhao Quan and said, "Master, I have a problem with you. I wonder if you can agree? "

"Mom, please get up and tell me something." Zhao Quan hurriedly reached out to help the old lady. But the old lady knelt still and said, "If you don't agree, I won't get up."

"Okay, I agree." Zhao Quan had no choice but to nod. At this time, the old lady said, "Old lady, I can't do anything. I really can't raise this poor child. I see that the official is kind-hearted and must have the heart of a Bodhisattva, so I would like to implore the official to take over the child and raise it on his behalf."

"I , I - to be honest, I am not a local, I came here to find someone, I am afraid it will be very inconvenient for me to take my child with me." Zhao Quan explained his dilemma, but the old lady didn't listen and just knelt down. The man on the ground said "acting rogue", "If the official doesn't agree, I won't get up!"

"Okay, I agree!" Zhao Quan had no choice but to agree. When all the spectators saw it, they all applauded Zhao Quan for his righteous deed. Especially the old beggar woman, she took Zhao Quan's hand and thanked her again and again, "Old woman, I am ill and I'm afraid my time is running out. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so shameless as to beg you. Please don't ask the officials." Sorry."

"No." Since Zhao Quan agreed to this old woman, he would not give this baby to others to raise. However, as a grown man, he definitely couldn't take care of the child. In desperation, he had no choice but to take the baby back to Chengdu and let the maids at home help raise him. Unexpectedly, the child seemed to be glued to him. As long as he fed him food and water, and saw other people, he would cry loudly.With no choice, Zhao Quan had no choice but to give up searching for Ling'er temporarily and instead took care of the baby at home. In order to prevent outsiders from gossiping, Zhao Quan lied that this was the child of his late friend Sun Ziwei. For this reason, he also named him Sun Xian.

Although he could no longer go out to look for Ling'er in person, Zhao Quan still couldn't forget her, so based on his memory, he drew portraits of Xie Yapo, Ada A'er, and Ling'er, and then handed them over to some vendors in Chengdu. , ask them to inquire on your behalf. These traders often traveled around. After they received Zhao Quan's promise of a large sum of money, they naturally inquired carefully about every place they visited.

Time flies, time flies. Gradually, Sun Xian grew up to five years old. Zhao Quan saw that he was smart and nimble, so he not only sent him to study, but also invited a martial arts master to teach him martial arts.

Another ten years passed like this, and Sun Xian grew up into a strong young man. At this time, he was already both civil and military, but Zhao Quan never married again because he missed Ling'er. The old mother was so anxious that she urged him to remarry every day. Zhao Quan seemed to have this plan. Who knows, at this moment, a cloth merchant who had just returned from the capital brought a message to Zhao Quan, "Mr. Zhao, I was in a Yanliu Lane in Beiping Prefecture recently. , I seem to have seen Ah Da and Ah Er in your painting. If you want to find them, you can come with me to Peking next month. "

If you can find Ah Da and Ah Er, you won't have to worry about it. It’s time to reach Ling’er! Zhao Quan was overjoyed and immediately gave the cloth merchant ten taels of silver and said, "Can you take me there now? If it is really them, I will pay another one hundred taels of silver!"

There must be brave men under the heavy reward. When the cloth merchant heard this, he immediately nodded and agreed, "Let's leave early tomorrow morning. I'll go back and prepare tonight."

Sun Xian had already heard the story of his adoptive parents and learned that Zhao Quan was going to the capital to find someone. Finally, he volunteered and said, "Father, didn't you say that Ah Da Ah Er is a bad person who knows martial arts? If it is really them, I can just go and avenge you."

Zhao Quan thought it made sense, so he took him He took Sun Xian and the cloth merchant Ding Yong and went to the capital together. When he arrived at Yanliu Alley, Zhao Quan took a peek and saw not only Ah Da and Ah Er, but also the hateful Xie Ya Po. Although she was already nearly seventy years old at this time, she still led her people to do such immoral things.

After Sun Xian learned about the situation, he entered the room that night and beat Ada and Aerpang first, then found ropes, tied them and Xie Yapo, and forced them to tell Ling'er's whereabouts. A'er was deeply afraid that Sun Xian and Zhao Quan would kill them, so he hurriedly said, "As long as you don't kill me, I am willing to tell the whereabouts of Miss Ling'er."

"Then tell me quickly." Zhao Quan was impatient and anxious. He asked, grabbing his collar. A'er pointed at Xie Yapo and said, "After Miss Ling'er was captured, because she refused to accept guests, she chained her up and locked her in a dark room."

Damn it! Zhao Quan waved his hand and gave Xie Yapo two slaps, and then let her lead him to rescue Ling'er. At this time, Ling'er was already sallow and thin, and had long lost the charm of the past. Zhao Quan felt heartbroken when he saw her. He couldn't help but hug her tightly into his arms and said, "Ling'er, my husband has finally found you!"

"Husband, I thought I would never see you again, but I didn't expect that I would never see you again." The sky has eyes, and it can still allow me to see you again in my lifetime." Ling'er cried bitterly as she spoke. Seeing them crying emotionally, Sun Xian couldn't help crying too.

Only then did Ling'er notice his presence, couldn't help but break away from Zhao Quan's arms, and looked at Sun Xian carefully. Suddenly, she discovered that this Sun Xian looked somewhat similar to Zhao Quan. I couldn't help but pull him and ask, "Husband, who is this child?"

"He is my adopted son. He was brought back from an old beggar woman when I went to Xiangfan to look for you fifteen years ago. "Zhao Quan recounted the pain of lovesickness while recounting the events of his search for the person.

Unexpectedly, Ling'er burst into tears again after hearing this and said, "Quick, go and see if there is a butterfly-shaped birthmark on the back of his right hand. If so, he is your flesh and blood!"

There is indeed a butterfly-shaped red birthmark on the back of Sun Xian’s right hand! Zhao Quan discovered it when he was very young. So when he heard Ling'er say this, he was even more excited and asked, "There is indeed a red birthmark on the back of Xian'er's right hand. Ling'er, please tell me what's going on!"

It turns out that back then, When Ling'er was taken away, she was already pregnant with Zhao Quan's flesh and blood. Later, Xie Yapo took her people around, and indeed went to Xiangfan. Ling'er gave birth to Sun Xian there. In order to vent her anger, Xie Yapo snatched the infant baby the next day, took him under a stone bridge, and prepared to drown him. Unexpectedly, the beggar lady went to the river to look for water that day and happened to witness this scene. She shouted, "What are you doing, you vicious woman?" , and ran away.

When Zhao Quan got the confirmation from Xie Yapo, he realized that the sky had eyes, and he had actually brought his own flesh and blood home to raise him. This is really "what goes around comes around"!

In the end, Sun Xian was changed to Zhao Xian, and Zhao Quan and his wife sent Xie Yapo and Ah Da Ah Er to prison before returning to Chengdu. It is said that the three evil men were eventually sentenced to Lingchi, but Zhao Quan's family of three lived a happy life.
　
　(This article is adapted from the classic story "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio - Crow Head")