On November 23, the convoy entered Ruyang City.
Mrs. Yuan raised the car curtain and looked at the familiar street scene outside the window, tears streaming down her cheeks unconsciously. I feel timid about being close to my hometown, and it has been more than ten years since I last saw each other.
The Yuan family's old residence is in the east of the city. Mrs. Yuan pointed to Yang Anxuan who was guarding the car: "This half of the street is the Yuan family's old residence. I heard from my grandfather that the entire east city used to be the Yuan mansion. Alas."
The groans echoed on the decaying grass on the earthen wall, and the wheels bumped in the deep grooves of the bluestone slabs.
Yang Anxuan saw the beasts squatting on the ridge of the house exposed behind the wall. There were hanging beasts on the vertical ridges, and there were crouching beasts on the ridges. The eaves were stretched out, and the gray tiles were very elegant. You can imagine the life of the fourth and third generation of the Yuan family. Prominence and glory.
Someone was waiting in front of the house, and Yang Anxuan helped Yuan get out of the car. Seeing the old man with pale hair and beard in the front, Mrs. Yuan called out "Uncle Qi" with tears in her eyes, then choked up and couldn't speak anymore.
The old man also had tears in his eyes and said in a choked voice: "Little Ling'er, you are back."
Looking at Yang Anxuan who was supporting his mother, the old man asked tentatively: "Are you An Shen or An Xuan?"
"It's An Xuan." Mrs. Yuan wiped her tears and said, "An Xuan, Qiu'er, come and pay homage to your seventh uncle."
Yang Anxuan and Yang Qiu bowed down and saluted. The old man held them up one by one and sighed: "I have never met An Xuan and Qiu'er. You, Ling'er, were here fifteen years ago. Time flies so fast. It's amazing. Let’s go into the house.”
The high stone steps had long been broken into several pieces, with dead grass growing out of the gaps. The once rich family has long been mottled, like the dark spots on an old man's face.
The columns and walls inside the house are exquisitely carved, but in dilapidated condition; the painted windows are covered with dust, the corridors are winding, and the eaves under the patio are covered with weeds, making them look increasingly dated.
Walking through the familiar courtyard deep in her memory, Yuan felt both nostalgic and sentimental. When the children playing in the courtyard saw the guests, they all raised their little faces and watched curiously.
The local music awakened Yuan's childhood memories, and she had mixed feelings for a moment. She held Yang Anxuan's hand tightly before she could move forward.
Wuxuetang, the Yuan family named it Wuxuetang in memory of their ancestor Yuan An. In the middle of the lobby hangs the "Picture of Yuan An Lying in the Snow". In the painting, Yuan An is lying high in a scroll with a happy expression on his face, which is obviously the work of a famous artist.
It took more than half an hour for the guests and hosts to sit down, recognize people, call people, greet people, greet them, and distribute gifts.
Yuan's father, Yuan Bai, was the eldest son of the family. He passed away twenty-two years ago. His mother, Xiahou, also passed away. He had a younger brother, Yuan Shan, who served as county magistrate in Nan'an County, Yizhou, and a younger sister, Yuan Mei, who married his grandson in Xuzhou. Home, no news. Of the three Yuan Bai brothers, the fifth, Yuan Song, has passed away, and the seventh, Yuan Zhu, is the current patriarch.
Yuan looked at the clan members, and the faces in his memory were awakened one by one, and asked: "Uncle Qi, why don't you see Brother Chong and Brother Rui from Uncle Five's family? How is Aunt Five?"
When Yuan was a child, her fifth uncle Yuan Song treated her very well and often took her and her two children to play outside the city. Fifteen years ago, when Yuan learned of the death of her fifth uncle, she made a special trip back to Ruyang to pay homage.
Yuan Zhu sighed and said: "The fifth aunt passed away twelve years ago, and Yuan Zhong has been gone for seven years. Yuan Rui didn't know you were here today, so he went up the mountain to chop firewood."
"Ah", you can hear the plight of Fifth Uncle's lineage in just a few words. Yuan Zhong is one year younger than him, why is he gone?
Mrs. Yuan remembered that she had met Chongdi and a three-year-old son when she came here fifteen years ago, and asked hurriedly: "How is Chongdi's son doing?"
"Tao'er, he teaches in the clan, and this year he will be classified as a lower grader." Yuan Zhu responded.
Yuan was in tears, her family was extremely poor, but the Yuan family never came to look for her. Rather than helping the poor, the Yuan family maintained the last dignity of the dilapidated family.
Seeing Yuan's tears and sadness, Yuan Zhu persuaded her instead: "Ling'er, this is fate. The ancestors of the Yuan family came from poverty. If the descendants can continue to farm and study, they may be able to prosper again."
Yuan asked: "How are the children of the clan doing this year?"
Yuan Zhu shook his head and said sadly: "The Yuan family has been reduced to the common people. This year, only Yuan Hong is designated as the eighth grade, and Yuan Tao is designated as the ninth grade."
Seeing Yang Anxuan standing beside Yuan, Yuan Zhu smiled and asked, "Why didn't An Shen come this time? If I remember correctly, An Xuan should be sixteen years old this year. Has the product been finalized?"
Yuan wiped her tears and said with pride: "An Shen is now the chief clerk of the Sima Mansion in Xiangyang City, and he has no time to spare. An Xuan is quite diligent and studious, and has a low reputation in the county. This year, he was rated as a top-middle grade by Zhongzheng. "
Yuan Zhu's eyes widened and he exclaimed in shock: "High-medium grade? Oh my, this is really amazing. There is hope for the Yang family to revive its family."
While they were talking, more tribesmen arrived one after another. Yuan Rui, whom Yuan was thinking about, was wearing shabby clothes and his face was covered with dust; Yuan Tao was wearing an old robe and his words were reserved...
After resting for a night, Yuan took Yang Anxuan and Qiu'er to transfer the ownership in the corridor, looking for memories of her past.
Many of the houses in my memory were in disrepair or even collapsed; many of the shops facing the street were sold out and the houses were sold to others.
Old acquaintances from childhood may be flattering or cold, passionate or reserved, life is full of changes, and things in the world are vicissitudes of life.
Yang Qiu soon played with the children of the Yuan family, and occasionally a few Ruyang accents came out of his mouth, which made Yuan very happy and taught Qiu'er a few words from time to time.
Yuan Tao accompanied his aunt around the house and across the courtyard, gradually letting go of his restraint and chatting and laughing with his cousin Yang Anxuan. People rely on clothes and put on the brocade robe given by Yuan family, Yuan Tao became very elegant.
Yang Anxuan found that after letting go of his restraint, Yuan Tao was interesting in conversation and had extraordinary knowledge. He was not a corrupt scholar who just read poetry and books. There is self-improvement and self-confidence in his words, he is proud but not arrogant, which is really good.
Visiting relatives and friends for two days in a row made Yang Qiu a little impatient. He said coquettishly to Mrs. Yuan: "Mom, is there anything interesting here? I'm almost getting moldy every day when I stay in the courtyard."
Yuan Tao smiled and said: "Cousin, Ruyang is the hometown of the ancestors of wine. Wei Taizu's saying, 'How to relieve worries, only Du Kang' comes from here."
Yang Qiu wrinkled his nose and said, "The wine smells terrible, I don't like it."
Yuan thought of something and said with a smile: "Is the chaste woman's tomb (1) in Mazhuang Township still there?"
Yuan Tao responded: "It's still there. Twelve years ago, someone built a temple in front of the tomb, and it's very popular."
Yuan said with a smile: "When Taiwei Xie heard about Liang Zhu's story, he went to court and named Zhu Yingtai's tomb the 'Righteous Woman's Tomb'. Go and pay homage tomorrow."
Zhu Yingtai, Liang Zhu, and Yang Anxuan were awakened, and later generations argued a lot about the hometown of Liang Zhu. I must note this when I have time. If it can be passed down to future generations, it will avoid endless debates.
Yuan happily told the story of Liang and Zhu to her children. It was basically the same as the poignant story heard by later generations: Zhu Yingtai disguised herself as a man and went to Hongluoshan Academy to study. She met Liang Shanbo and the two had similar interests and became friends. Brothers, our relationship grows stronger day by day. Three years later, when Zhu Yingtai returned home, Liang Shanbo, under the guidance of his master's wife, took the butterfly jade fan left by Zhu Yingtai and dropped it to Zhu's house to ask for marriage, but was rejected. He died of grief and anger. The Zhu family forced the grief-stricken Zhu Yingtai to marry the Ma family. The sedan chair went to Liang Shanbo's tomb. Zhu Yingtai got off the sedan and cried to worship the deceased. She died of grief and was buried on the east side of Liang Shanbo's tomb.
Qiu'er burst into tears and cried, "Zhu Yingtai is so pitiful. Why didn't her father marry her to that Liang Shanbo?"
Mrs. Yuan hugged her daughter and was speechless. How many marriages in this world can a woman fulfill her wish? I hope Qiu'er can marry her lover in the future.
…………
Ten miles east of Runan City, Mazhuang Township.
The bullock cart passed under the archway of the Martyr's Tomb and followed the mountain road uphill. Not far away was the Liangzhu Temple.
Yuan took Qiu'er out of the car and went to the temple to burn incense, and then went to pay their respects in front of Liang Zhu's grave at the back. Yang Anxuan and Yuan Tao chatted in front of the temple after burning incense.
In the past few days, Yang Anxuan had witnessed the embarrassment of the Yuan family and wanted to help. However, giving people a little money could only save the day. Only by supporting the rapid rise of young high-ranking children in the family like Yuan Hong and Yuan Tao and becoming officials can Yuan Yuan be changed. The appearance of a house in decline.
The story of Butterfly Lovers is well-known to every household and has been spread far and wide. It can be said to be a masterpiece through the ages. However, the complete story was completed in the Tang Dynasty, and it was sung and performed in the Song Dynasty.
Yang Anxuan looked at Yuan Tao and thought that if his cousin could write the story of Butterfly Lovers into a fantasy novel, he would definitely become a great writer.
Although the story of Butterfly Lovers circulating today is touching, it still lacks some artistic processing. In particular, the most touching story of butterfly transformation has not been derived.
Yang Anxuan thought for a moment and said: "The story of the Butterfly Lovers is touching. My cousin may want to compile it into writing and spread it to the world."
Yuan Tao was somewhat moved and said, "If I have some free time, I would like to give it a try."
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "When I was in Luoyang, I heard a wild Taoist talk about the Butterfly Lovers, which is slightly different from the current legend."
The story of the Butterfly Lovers begins with the study of divination, sworn homage at the grass bridge, flowing water in the mountains, seeing off each other at the age of eighteen, going down the mountain to ask for marriage, meeting on the balcony, Shan Bo's death, and finally the two butterflies flying together.
Yuan Tao listened with a smile at first. What his cousin said was very similar to what he knew. Gradually, his face became more solemn, and he burst into tears when he heard Zhu Yingtai cry and offer sacrifices.
A circle of people listening to the story gathered around the two of them, and all of them shed tears sadly. When Yang Anxuan talked about the two people turning into butterflies and flying together, everyone was filled with joy and sadness, and sighed endlessly.
Finally, Yang Anxuan concluded with a poem: When scholars go to the deserted terrace, the spring breeze grows wild moss every year. The peach blossoms on the mountain are as red as fire, and a pair of butterflies fly over again.
Yuan Tao realized that if he compiled the story of Butterfly Lovers described by his cousin into a fantasy novel, it would be popular in the world, and his reputation would also spread along with the novel.
Zhengyi bowed to Yang Anxuan, and Yuan Tao said gratefully: "Brother Yu will write out the book as my cousin said when I get back. I hope my cousin will give me more advice."
When Yang Anxuan was talking about meeting on the balcony, Yuan and Qiu'er turned around and did not interrupt Yang Anxuan's narration. They stood in the crowd and listened to the second half. Even so, they both burst into tears.
Mrs. Yuan wiped her tears and said: "Where did Xuan'er hear the legend of Butterfly Lovers turning into butterflies, I don't even know. The transformation of Butterfly Lovers and Butterfly Lovers into butterflies is quite poignant and beautiful, which makes people feel sad but also a little happy."
Yang Qiu pulled Yang Anxuan and said: "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are so pitiful. I will never flutter at butterflies again. Bad third brother, you made people cry. No one in front of them heard you. You have to say it again."
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "When I get home, let my cousin write it in a book and let him tell you."
Yuan Tao was eager to return home, and his cousin pointed out a shortcut for him to become famous. He should take advantage of this moment to write "Butterfly Lovers" as soon as possible while his imagination was surging.
Mrs. Yuan understood that her son was helping the Yuan family in disguise, and said with a smile: "Tao'er, my aunt has brought some cloud festival paper this time. You can take it and remember to read it to your aunt after you finish writing it."
The lights in Yuan Tao's room stayed on until dawn. Just after Chenzheng passed, Yuan Tao excitedly brought the written story to Yang Anxuan. The two read and revised it together. Yang Anxuan added the lyrics that would be remembered by later generations to polish it. This made Yuan Tao very convinced of his cousin. This top-grade product is truly worthy of its reputation.
Three days later, the story of "Butterfly Lovers" was bound into a book according to Yang Anxuan's instructions. Yuan Tao first recited it to his aunt and other women of various generations in the clan, earning many tears.
Yuan Tao, who was full of confidence, decided to take the manuscript to a gathering of scribes after worshiping his ancestors. He would soon become the most conspicuous talent in Ruyang.
