Excerpted from "Strange Stories Qi Tan"
Once upon a time, there was a young samurai in Kyoto, who was trapped in his livelihood due to the failure of the lord he served. He was destitute and destitute. Finally, he had no choice but to leave home and go to a remote place, under the gate of the local state guard. Be a servant. Before leaving the capital, the samurai divorced his wife. Although his wife was virtuous and beautiful, he figured in his heart that if he could get a good relationship again, he might be able to make a name for himself, so he married another woman of noble birth. The new wife took office.
All because he was young and hasty, lost his mind for the hardships and hardships of life, and did not understand the value of true feelings. Although it was easy to abandon his wife, the family he remarried was unhappy. His second wife's temperament is selfish and surly, making him nostalgic for the past years in Kyoto, and he finally realizes that he is still attached to his ex-wife, but he can't have such love for his second wife no matter what. He deeply felt that he was really a merciless person, and the guilt eventually turned into regretful thoughts, entangled in his heart, and there was no day to let him go. He recalled the ex-wife whom he had ruthlessly ignored: those gentle words, beautiful smiles, elegant and lovely manners, and impeccable patience and tolerance... were always lingering in his mind. Often, he would dream of his wife sitting in front of the loom. In the days of poverty, she worked hard day and night to help make up for the family. She covered her face and wept, her sleeves wet with tears. During the day, he served in the state guard house, and he always remembered his ex-wife: "I don't know what she lives on now? What does she do every day?" While so worried, he comforts himself in his heart: "Don't worry, she is It is absolutely impossible for someone else to remarry, if I turn back, she will forgive me." The samurai made up his mind to rush back to Kyoto, find his ex-wife as soon as possible, beg her for forgiveness, and take her back to him as a man. Do everything you can to try to make up for it. Unfortunately, after thinking about it, the days have passed in a hurry.
Finally, the term of office of the national guard has expired, and the samurai who used to be responsible have returned to freedom.
"Okay, now I'm going back to the person I love!" He had made up his mind, "How cruel and confusing it was to leave her like that!"
Fortunately, there were no children between him and his step-wife, so he divorced his step-wife, sent her back to her parents' home, and hurried back to Kyoto. When people arrived in the capital, they didn't even have time to change their clothes, so they went straight to their old home.
By the time the samurai arrived at the street where his old home was, it was already dark. It was the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, and the surroundings were cold and silent, like a cemetery. But a bright moon lit up all around, and the samurai soon found his old home. The old house has been dilapidated, and the eaves are overgrown with decaying grass. He knocked on the wooden window, but no one answered. Instead, he found that the door was not latched. He raised his hand and pushed it open, and then he lifted his foot and stepped into the house. The main hall in front of him was empty, and there was no tatami on the ground, and the cold wind poured in from the cracks in the floor; I looked at the other rooms one by one, and they were also desolate, and there was no sign of being inhabited. Nonetheless, the samurai remembered that there was a hut in the innermost part of the house, where his wife usually stayed, so he might as well take a look. When he came to the front of the hut, he found the shadow of the lamp flickering inside, and he couldn't help but open the paper door quickly, but when he saw his ex-wife was sewing clothes by the dim light of the candle, he couldn't help crying out with joy. The ex-wife looked up, and the moment she met his eyes, she also burst into a happy smile, and asked him earnestly: "When did you return to Kyoto? Look at the dark lights in this room, you can find me too, You know I'm here..."
Years have passed, but his wife's voice and appearance have not changed, she is still young and beautiful, and she retains the most beloved appearance in his memory. And her sweet voice, trembling slightly with surprise, surpassed any memory, like a melodious music.
The samurai sat down beside his wife, and told her all the things that happened after he left. He repented of his selfishness and callousness, and he recounted the pain and endless longing after losing his wife, and how he had pondered over the years and hoped that one day. Can make up for his own faults... The samurai poured out his words, caressed his wife tenderly, and begged her for forgiveness again and again.
Hearing him so remorseful, his ex-wife, as he expected, replied affectionately: "Please don't blame yourself again, and don't worry about me. You are wrong, in fact, from the beginning, I deeply felt that I was not worthy of it. Your wife, I know that you left me because of poverty. When we were together, you were considerate and kind to me. After you left, I still pray for your happiness and well-being. As for compensation , even if you have made any mistakes, now you are willing to come back to me, it is enough to make up for it. There is no greater joy in the world than to meet, even if it is just a short moment of gathering..." "Even if it is just a short moment!"
The samurai couldn't help laughing, and said happily, "No no no, it should be said, 'Seven lives and seven generations will be together forever'. If the lady doesn't dislike it, I would like to accompany you from now on, forever and ever, and never be separated again. Now I have property on hand. And the way to make a living, I will no longer suffer from poverty. Tomorrow I will ship all the household items, and invite a few servants to serve you. Let's work together to rearrange this home beautifully. As for tonight... The samurai said apologetically, "Tonight is late at night, and I told you these words in order to see you as soon as possible, so I rushed over without even changing my clothes..."
Hearing the samurai say this, the ex-wife was very pleased, and she also told him what happened after her husband left. The two talked until late at night, and then the ex-wife led the samurai to a slightly warm house facing the south.
As his wife began to make the bed, the samurai asked, "Is there no one in this family to help you with the housework?"
"No." The ex-wife smiled brightly, "I don't have this kind of wealth at home. I have been living alone until now."
"Tomorrow, there will be a group of servants for you to use." The warrior said, "They are all capable servants. Whatever you need, you will have everything, and you will arrange it for you."
After the two lay down, they hadn't fallen asleep for a long time. They had too many things to say to each other. From the past to the present and the future, until the sky turned white in the east, they closed their eyes unknowingly and fell asleep.
When the samurai woke up, he saw the white sunlight pouring into the room from the window lattice, and he was surprised to find that he was lying on the eroded and decayed floor, and couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that everything in front of me was just a dream? But he thought again: No, it's not like a dream, his wife is still sleeping beside him... He leaned over and looked at the woman next to him, but he screamed in fright. The woman lying in front of her had no face. She was just a corpse wrapped in a burial cloth.
The samurai was terrified and shuddered, and sat up slowly in the sunlight. However, the bone-piercing fear and chill gradually turned into unbearable despair and severe pain. Despite this, there was still a lingering doubt in his heart, which mocked him, like a shadow lingering. So, he pretended to be unfamiliar with the surrounding area, and asked passers-by about his ex-wife's residence.
"That house has long been empty," the passerby replied. "The owner of that house is a samurai. A few years ago, he divorced his wife, married another woman, and left the capital. His wife was heartbroken. , and soon fell ill. Pity she was lonely, she had no relatives in Kyoto, and there was no one to take care of her, and finally passed away in the autumn of that year. It seems to be the tenth day of September..."
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