There was a scholar named Chen in Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. He was quite talented in literature, but he often lamented that his talent was underappreciated. He built a bamboo house on the mountain behind his home, and often read and wrote in the bamboo house all night long.
One late night, the scholar saw a shooting star streaking across the sky in front of his bed, and he felt it, so he wrote a poem:
Fate is like a meteor, fate is like a lute.
Reincarnation reflection, waking dream drunk.
Life is full of sorrow.
Do not fight for fame and fortune, willing to be a spectator.
Looking at the autumn moon and listening to the spring breeze quietly.
But seek a confidant, and be in the same boat with me.
But seek a confidant, and chase after sunset together.
After finishing the recitation, I was sad again, lying on the desk, lonely and sleepless.
At this time, a beautiful and gentle female voice came from outside the window: “Mister is so eager for a confidant, why don’t you come out and meet me.”
The scholar looked outside, only to see the pitch-black area, but there was no woman, so he said, “Since there is fate, why don’t you come in and meet me?”
Soon, the woman’s voice was closer and more mellow, and said: “If you are sincere, sir, you can come out and meet.”
The scholar saw that no one was seen outside the window, and his heart sank, but he still had the courage to shout: “If you are sincere, come in quickly and meet each other, why do you hide!”
Suddenly, the scholar heard the sound of chiseling the door, the voice gradually became high-pitched, and it seemed very miserable in the middle of the night, and the woman’s voice also became very frightened and miserable, saying: “I have a destiny with you, sir, let’s meet at the door!”
The scholar was very afraid and dared not make a sound. After a long time, the sound of chiseling the door stopped, and another sigh was heard: “I am the lotus fairy from the lotus pond in the mountains. I envy your literary talents, but unfortunately, you don’t even have the courage to go out to meet you. I just pretended to be a ghost on purpose just to tempt you. It seems that you and I are not destined.”
The scholar blushed, and never entered the back mangosteen house again, and went out to do business.