The love affair between Jiang Niang and Cui Hu

On this day last year, in this door,

the peach blossoms on the human face reflected each other;

I don’t know the human face. Where to go?

Peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.

This poem "Inscribed on Nanzhuang of the Capital City" written by Cui Hu has been widely circulated, and many people can still recite it aloud. However, those who know the poem do not always know that there is a touching love story hidden in this poem. The story is full of the innocent love of the talented man and the beautiful woman, and the plot is full of twists and turns. People call it "Peach Blossom Fate", also known as Peach Blossom Luck.

Cui Hu was a scholar in Boling County during the Zhenyuan period of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty. He was born in a scholarly family. He was pure in talent, talented and aloof. He usually buried himself in the cold window and rarely interacted with others, even occasionally. I like to travel alone and also like to be alone. This year's Qingming Festival coincides with a rare sunny day. Outside the house, there are pink and green flowers, butterflies and bees flying, a gentle breeze, and a sense of spring. The spring sun was shining brightly in the afternoon, and Cui Hu, who had been studying hard all morning, was deeply affected by the breath of spring, and determined to go to the countryside to appreciate the warmth of spring. So I put down the book and walked out of the city alone in high spirits. Along the way, willows and flowers are flying, warblers and swallows are chirping, the sun is warm and the wind is pleasant. He was reading so hard that he didn't realize that spring was coming. He suddenly felt refreshed both physically and mentally. Along the way, he could see endless red flowers, green grass, and spring mountains and rivers. He enjoyed the gifts that nature bestowed upon mankind, unaware of the distance of the road. Unconsciously, he was far away from the city. He suddenly felt a little sore in his legs and thirsty. He wanted to find a rural farmhouse to rest and ask for some water so that he could rush back to the city before sunset. This place is already remote, and the farmers live in a very scattered way. He looked around and saw a hut exposed in the mountain col not far away among the peach blossoms, so he quickened his pace and walked towards the mountain col. Approaching the foot of the mountain, all the thatched huts that could be seen in the distance were now covered by peach trees. There was only a beautiful peach forest in front of them: the peach blossoms were scorching, covered with branches, the breeze blew, and the fragrance lingered, making people suspect that they had entered by mistake. In the peach blossom garden. Walking along the winding path between the peach trees, there is a small courtyard surrounded by bamboo fences in a small gap. The courtyard is simple and elegant. There are three thatched huts in the courtyard, all made of bamboo boards and thatch. They are simple but unusually neat. Cui Hu thought to himself: "How can a master live in seclusion in such a unique place?"

As he approached Chaimen, he knocked on the door and shouted: "The young man is passing by on his spring outing and wants to ask for some water!" while calling the door. , he guessed that the person who came out to open the door must be an old man with white hair and beautiful beard, wearing bamboo cane and mango shoes, with a strange appearance and elegant conversation. With a creak, the door opened, and unexpectedly, a young girl walked out. The girl was dressed in plain clothes, but there was an elegant and refined charm in her eyebrows, which surprised Cui Hu. He once again explained the purpose of his visit. The girl stared with bright eyes and felt that the visitor did not mean any harm, so she diligently led him into the thatched cottage to sit down, and went to the kitchen to prepare some tea. Cui Hu looked around and saw that the windows in the room were bright and spotless. There was a row of bookshelves against the wall. The shelves were filled with poems and books. There were pens and inkstones on the table. A couplet hung in the middle of the wall. The couplet read: "How many catkins are there?" The wind is turning the snow, and countless peach blossoms are soaking in the clouds. "The sentences are elegant and interesting, which is definitely different from the style of ordinary rural farmers. On the desk next to the window is a frame of poem paper with wet ink stains, on which is written a five-character quatrain of "Yong Mei":

The plain color is bright and cold, the snow is bright, and the fragrance is Ren Xiaofeng;

Poor, just like me, scattered in this mountain.

The poem must have been written by the owner here. It seems that he is using plum blossoms to lament his rough life experience, which is so full of desolation and helplessness. What kind of person is living in seclusion here? What kind of mood and circumstances led to such helpless words? A series of question marks appeared in Cui Hu's mind, which made him very interested in this hut surrounded by peach blossoms and its owner, and he wanted to find out.

At this time, the girl came out of the kitchen with a tea tray. She walked towards Cui Hu gracefully. Seeing that he was staring at the couplets on the wall and seemed to be savoring them, she smiled knowingly and gently said Calling out: "Ms. sir, please have some tea." Cui Hu turned away from his thoughts and saw the girl walking towards him. Her pink and white face was full of autumn waves. She was dressed without makeup and plain cloth, which set off the beauty even more. It shows the innocence and beauty of the girl, just like a peach blossom in the spring breeze, showing people the grace of life. For a moment, Cui Hu looked dazed. The girl seemed to have sensed his thoughts and quickly lowered her eyes. Her shyness made her even more charming. Cui Hu couldn't help but feel his heart swaying, and he almost couldn't trust himself.

But after all, he is a scholar who is well-read in poetry and understands etiquette. Cui Hu tried hard to stabilize his emotions so as not to lose his composure in front of the girl. He politely took the tea cup, took a sip of tea, pretended to be calm and stated his surname and hometown, and then asked the girl's surname and family very politely. The girl didn't seem to want to mention this more, and just said lightly: "Jiang Niang, little named, lives here in seclusion with her father." She didn't mention her surname or family background, and there seemed to be something unspeakable, so Cui Hu was naturally inconvenient to ask more questions.

However, the couplets on the wall, the poems on the table, and the characters in front of them all reveal a strong hint that the owner of this hut must have an extraordinary origin. A fog formed in Cui Hu's mind, but since he didn't want to talk more, he had to put it aside. The two were silent in the room for a while, and Cui Hu turned the topic to the scenery. He praised the scenery here for its pleasant scenery, which was like a fairyland. It was a rare place for a spring outing. The girl just listened to his eloquent talk, smiled and nodded as if she agreed, but said nothing.

Speaking of spring, Cui Hu became very poetic. He also commented on the famous spring outing poems of ancient and modern times, and finally said: "The flowers are ready to be picked when they are blooming. Don't wait until there are no flowers and break the branches." After saying that, he looked at Jiang Niang meaningfully, waiting for her reaction. Of course the clever Jiang Niang understood what he meant. In the spring season, facing such a young man who was in his prime, high-spirited and talented, how could she not let the spring in her newly awakened heart? But how could a girl who knew books and etiquette dare to open her heart in front of a strange man? She sat there shyly and said nothing, with two rosy clouds staining her cheeks. Occasionally she glanced at Cui Hu with affectionate eyes and touched her. Cui Hu looked away quickly when he saw it. He looked at his toes even more shyly, showing an increasingly charming look. Faced with the girl's confusion, Cui Hu didn't know what to do. Having read the books of sages, he couldn't have done anything more passionate or frivolous.

Cui Hu, who rarely interacted with girls, naturally didn't understand the girl's thoughts. Seeing that the girl was silent for a long time, he thought he had offended her. So I secretly guarded myself, and unconsciously restrained myself in my speech.

At that time, "men and women were not allowed to be intimate". It was an unusual act for an unmarried man and woman to serve tea and water and be alone in a room. It's okay in the countryside, but it's outrageous in the city. Two young and passionate hearts stirred in the warm sunshine of the spring afternoon, and they were deeply attracted to each other. However, "it starts with love and ends with etiquette." Two young people who have been educated in etiquette did not Further deviance. Seeing that the sun had set into the mountain col in the west, Cui Hu had no choice but to stand up. After thanking her sincerely, he reluctantly said goodbye to the girl. The girl sent him out of the courtyard, leaning on the firewood leaf

and watching silently as Cui Hu walked away. Cui Hu also looked back from time to time and saw the peach blossom-like girl, reflecting the gorgeous peach blossoms in front of the door, swaying in the spring breeze. He sighed in his heart: What a wonderful spring scene! But he could no longer see clearly the infinite attachment in the girl's eyes.

A chance encounter in spring aroused ripples of love in the hearts of Cui Hu and Jiang Niang. However, the love between men and women is just some embellishment in life for men, but it is the whole life for women. Ever since Cui Hu left, Jiang Niang has never forgotten him. The shadow of the handsome young man lingers in her mind day and night, making her think about him day and night, but she cannot mention all this to anyone. When Cui Hu returned home, he immediately immersed himself in the heavy homework, studying day and night, and his mind could no longer care about him. He could only put the incident of Xunchun's chance encounter with Jiang Niang in the back of his mind for the time being and dare not bring it up again, so as not to be distracted and wasted. academics.

Time flies, and in the next spring, it is another sunny day with flowers blooming. Cui Hu looked at the peach blossoms blooming in the city and couldn't help but feel emotional. He recalled the old things in the south of the city last spring. Flames rose in his heart. In an uncontrollable impulse, Cui Hu, with excitement and eagerness, walked quickly to the outside of the city to find his old dream. Along the way, the flowers bloomed as before, and the auspicious atmosphere was still pleasant, but these scenery could no longer arouse Cui Hu's interest. In his heart, he only had the beauty in the splendid peach blossoms. After searching and searching, he finally found the hut from last year, but everything was the same as before, as if that spring encounter happened yesterday. Approaching the courtyard, it was silent. He shouted through the bamboo fence: "The young man is passing by on his spring outing and wants to ask for some water!" He repeated the language of last year, looking forward to the scene happening again. After a long time of not seeing the girl come out to open the door, he called out several times: "Jiang Niang! Jiang Niang!" Except for some faint echoes, there was no reply. Taking another closer look, I saw a copper lock hanging quietly on the door of the hut, announcing that the owner was no longer here. Suddenly, Cui Hu felt as if a ladle of cold water had been poured on his head, and most of his hot heart had cooled down. Pushing open the wood door, he sat under the peach blossom tree in the courtyard.

Colorful petals fell off his clothes, but the girl still did not return. It was the time when the sun was setting in the west again. He took out the pen and ink from the window lattice and wrote a poem of Qi Jue on the door of his room with regret. This is the poem "Inscribed on Capital City Nanzhuang" mentioned at the beginning. After finishing the question, he still felt that his thoughts were not finished. He pondered twice and wanted to change the third sentence to "Where does the human face go now?" Then he thought again that it was not appropriate to use two words "Jin" in a seven-character quatrain, so Still according to the original sentence. Looking at the word "peach blossom" mentioned twice in the poem, it is not repetitive. Instead, it highlights the theme and exaggerates the atmosphere.

Cui Hucheng visited the south of the city and failed to see Jiang Niang. After returning home, he couldn't let go. He kept asking in his mind: Where did the beautiful lady go? ——Grave sweeping? Visiting relatives? Outing? Even married? He thought about it over and over, and the beautiful image of Jiang Niang often lingered in his mind. As a result, he couldn't concentrate on reading at all, and he couldn't even eat and drink. So, a few days later, he went to the south of the city again to look for it.

This time, he found the hut skillfully. Before he could get closer, he heard bursts of old cries coming from the hut in the distance. Cui Hu felt nervous and hurriedly rushed there. In front of the hut, he asked loudly what happened. After a while, a white-haired old man walked out tremblingly. With tears in his eyes, he looked Cui Hu up and down and asked, "Are you Cui Hu?"

The old man knew that he was Cui Hu was a little surprised at the name, he nodded and said: "Wansheng is Cui Hu.

When the old man heard this, he felt sad and cried, "You killed my daughter!" Cui Hu was astonished and asked hurriedly: "How dare I ask my father-in-law to explain the whole story!"

The old man burst into tears and said in a choked voice: "My dear daughter Jiangniang, she is eighteen years old. She knows books and is courteous. She is waiting in the boudoir. Since I saw you during the Qingming Festival last year, I have been worried about you day and night. I only said: If you are interested, you will definitely come to visit me again. She waited day after day, spring passed and autumn came, but there was no trace of you. She thought about you day and night, feeling as if she was lost. A year has passed and I was already in despair. I stayed at a relative's house a few days ago. When I came back, I saw the poem you wrote on the door. I regretted that I had missed this opportunity and thought that I would never see you again in this life, so I didn't eat or speak, and I was filled with sorrow. Damn, I can't afford to get sick. I am old and I only have this daughter to depend on. The reason why I have not married is because I want to find a good son-in-law so that we, father and daughter, can rely on each other. Now Jiang Niang has gone before me. Didn't you kill her? "

After hearing this cry, Cui Hu seemed to be struck by lightning, and was shocked for a moment. He didn't know what to do. They met by chance, and the infatuated woman was so affectionate. How could Cui Hu not be heartbroken? He He sobbed: "I passed by your house last year and was thirsty for a drink. I was kindly given tea by the lady. I came back to visit you a few days ago but didn't meet you. I wrote a poem sadly and came back. Unexpectedly, something like this happened. If Jiang Niang died, she wouldn't want to live an illegitimate life!" As he spoke, he ran into the inner room, hugged Jiang Niang, who had just died, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Jiang Niang, take a step slowly, Cui Hu is coming with you!" "

Cui Hu shook Jiang Niang and cried loudly, tears streaming down Jiang Niang's face. Maybe it was his sincerity that moved the sky, or maybe it was his true feelings that awakened Jiang Niang's heart. , in short, at this time Jiang Niang unexpectedly woke up slowly. At first, she exhaled a lingering breath, then her eyes opened slightly, and then the corners of her lips moved slightly, as if she recognized Cui Hu, and she buried her face deeply in Cui Hu. In the arms of Jiang Niang, the old man was so surprised that he quickly prepared the ginger soup and drank it slowly. Just like that, the passionate Jiang Niang came back from Huangquan Road.

Cui Hu went home and reported the situation to his parents. Their parents were very considerate of their true feelings, so they engaged Jiang Niang in accordance with the etiquette and chose an auspicious day to marry Jiang Niang into the family. But the father and daughter have never revealed their surnames and life experiences, leaving an unsolvable mystery. Perhaps the old man once served as an official in the court and was convicted for some reason, so he lived in seclusion in the south of Boling City. Cui Hu and his family were so worried that they didn't want to explore it.

Cui Hu married a loving, virtuous and beautiful wife like Jiang Niang. Family, being filial to his parents-in-law, being harmonious to relatives and neighbors, adding fragrance to his red sleeves at night, and reading to his husband made Cui Hu concentrate on his homework and improve his studies day by day. After passing the imperial examination, he was promoted to an official position, and his official career went smoothly. With the help of Jiang Niang, he became an upright official with outstanding political achievements and was deeply loved by the people.

Love affairs between men and women are called love affairs or love affairs.