(one)
The village in the mountains is close to a big river, which is 30 to 40 meters wide. When there is a flood in spring, if the weather is good, there will often be dozens of bamboo rafts floating on the river, carrying freshly cut logs and some bags of medicinal herbs. The sailors who often make a living by paddling bamboo rafts on the river are not only good at swimming, but also can go up the mountain to cut wood and go down to the fields to farm. But sometimes, one or two people will accidentally lose their lives in the river.
There is another river wharf in the village, and there is only one family on the wharf. He owns a mill for grinding rice and making tofu and bean curd skin. He is a miller. The millstone occupies most of the room. The mill is connected to the river below. When the river water rushes to the millstone, it drives the millstone. It can grind grain for many years, and the amount that can be grinded at one time is quite large.
He had a good family background and lived a well-fed life. Seeing that the business on the bamboo raft was good, he wanted to follow the people on the bamboo raft to do business outside, so he sold his family's mill, borrowed some money from relatives, friends and neighbors, and boarded the bamboo raft. As a result, he was cheated when doing business in Xiajiang and lost all his money.
After returning, the miller was so deep in thought that he could not fall asleep. Before dawn, he got up and swam along the river bank. The river water was clear and a few fish occasionally swam in the water, making a "dong" sound. The river breeze gently brushed his worried face, and he felt a little cold.
Just as he was walking and thinking, he suddenly heard another splash of water. This time he was startled and raised his head quickly. He saw a woman in white slowly floating up from the water and standing on the surface. At first, he thought he was in a trance and his eyes were blurry. He looked carefully again and said, "There is indeed a woman in white standing on the surface of the river!" He thought, "How can someone stand in the river?"
The river was very wide and the water was clear. Even the water near the river bank was very deep. The miller could not help but subconsciously think: "Did I see a ghost?" He was suddenly scared. Just as he was hesitating, the woman in white suddenly called his name and said to him: "You look very sad. Did you encounter something unpleasant?"
Hearing the question, the miller knew that she had no hostility, so he was slightly relieved. He had a lot of resentment in his heart, so he mustered up the courage to talk: "I used to have a big mill and lived a rich life. Later, I wanted to follow the people on the bamboo raft to do some business outside, so I sold the mill and borrowed a lot of money from relatives and friends. Who knew that I would lose everything after going out. I have read ghost stories over the years and I am afraid of what to do . I rely on that mill. Now without the mill, my whole family will starve. I don’t know what to do?"
The woman in white was silent for a moment, then said, "I can help you and make you richer than before. However, there is one condition, which is that you must hand over your youngest son to me."
After hearing what the woman in white said, the miller was stunned and thought, "I only have two daughters, where can I get a son?"
Originally, he just wanted to vent his anger when he told the woman in white. But now, the woman in white said that she could make him rich again, which really gave him hope. In addition, this condition was the same as if he had never asked her, so he readily agreed to her request.
The miller's worries were resolved, and he returned home quickly. Unexpectedly, just as he stepped into the door and sat down to rest, his wife came over and whispered to him: "I'm pregnant!"
The miller was shocked when he heard the news. His heart suddenly became heavy again. Then, he watched his wife's belly grow bigger day by day, and his heart became heavier day by day. Later, he was even more afraid to go home. Every time he stepped into the house, he would pray: "Please don't give birth to a son!"
When his wife saw him like this, she initially thought he was unhappy because he was cheated by someone else, so she didn't take it too seriously. Later, she found that he was becoming more and more taciturn, often absent-minded, and often deliberately avoiding her, so she went to relatives and friends to find a solution.
When relatives and friends saw this, some experienced ones said, "Maybe he wants to have a son and is overly worried." So they advised his wife to let him go to a big temple to worship the Buddha and pray for a son.
The miller listened to his wife's advice and felt even more uncomfortable, but he couldn't say it out loud, so he had to agree to go. Fortunately, in the town downstream of the river, there was a large temple dedicated to Guanyin, the goddess of fertility.
(two)
The town is about 25-6 miles away by mountain road. It takes about half an hour to get there by bamboo raft along the river. The town is built by the mountains and the water, with winding city walls and green weeping willows, which is particularly pleasant. There is a city wall next to the river, which is made entirely of bluestone. It is 400 meters long and 3.3 meters high. There are two gates in the south and north. The south gate is called Xushun Gate and the north is called Tongji Gate. In order to facilitate entry and exit, the people in the town opened a small city gate next to the north gate, called Xiaobei Gate.
The town has a long history. There is a three-meter-high Shuifu Palace Temple Pagoda outside the Xiaobei Gate near the river. It is said that a thousand years ago, there was a flood in the river, and the river water stirred up countless huge waves dozens of feet high. The people in the town panicked and fled one after another, and it was a mess for a while. Seeing that the river was about to rush through the city gate and submerge the town, at this critical moment, a big water bull dived into the water. Coincidentally, when the rows of huge waves hit the body of the big bull, they were bounced back by the elasticity of the bull, and the flow direction was changed all of a sudden. First, they hit the river cliff next to them, and then they all rushed to the lower reaches of the river, and then they went away. After the river water receded, the big bull turned into a huge rock and lay in the river.
In order to commemorate this big water buffalo, the townspeople built this pagoda to suppress the water monster. The huge rock in the middle of the river opposite the water buffalo is called the Buffalo Rock. Fifty meters downstream along the river bank, there is another nine-meter-high white pagoda, which means "peace and safety". The white pagoda has three floors, the upper and middle floors are pavilions, and the lower floor is very wide for people to pass and rest.
The town is quite prosperous. Entering the Xiaobei Gate, you can see two large temples in the center. One is called Kuixing Pavilion, which is a four-story building with a spiral staircase leading to the top floor. On the top floor, there is a Kuixing Bodhisattva, who is standing on a giant turtle, holding a colored pen in one hand and a petition in the other, looking down from above with a sharp gaze.
Next to it is Wenchang Palace, a large temple with a hundred-meter-wide bungalow complex. There is a Green Shade Pavilion Pagoda in it, which is ten meters high and has five floors. The top floor is dedicated to Wenchang Emperor Bodhisattva. Each floor of the pagoda has four eaves with upturned eaves, and each eave is tied with a copper bell, which swings in the wind and makes a very pleasant sound. The pagoda faces the river, surrounded by pine trees and green bamboos. The glazed tiles on the top of the pagoda are green, blue and yellow. They are gorgeous under the reflection of the sun, and accompanied by a slight river breeze, making people feel cool and happy. There is also a deep pool on the river side, called Bitanjin, surrounded by bamboo forests, and the scenery is very quiet and beautiful.
After passing the two big temples, go forward another 100 meters and you will see a larger temple in front of you. This big temple is called Tianwang Temple. It is a single temple with a height of 10 meters and a square. It is divided into three halls on the left, middle and right. The left hall is called Dragon King Palace, the right hall is called Goddess Hall, and the middle hall is Tianwang Temple. There are two rows of side rooms on both sides of the middle hall. The main hall enshrines the three Heavenly Kings, Li Tianwang, who holds the pagoda, Nezha who rides on the wind-fire wheel, and Sun Wukong, the golden-haired Thunder God.
Walking out of the hall, there is a big stage behind, and under the stage there is a big door and a small door, and there is only one way to go between the big door and the small door. Going to the right, there is another small bridge. This small bridge stands at the intersection of two streets. There are people walking on the bridge, and the stream under the bridge is gurgling, which is very strange.
After crossing the small bridge, there is a Yuwang Palace at the entrance of one street, where the God of Wealth is enshrined to bless the prosperous business and abundant wealth. At the entrance of another street, there is a Wanshou Palace, where the Goddess of Smallpox is enshrined.
The miller entered the town and went to the Goddess Hall of the Heavenly King Temple. According to the usual procedure, he first offered fruit, burned incense and candles, and was about to draw a lottery for praying for a child. Unexpectedly, a monk in coarse cloth came into the hall, claiming to be the master of the hall, and asked: "Donor, are you praying for a son?" Hearing the monk's question, the miller thought: "Since ancient times, people have only prayed for sons, not daughters. But I don't want a son."
The monk saw that he had something to hide, so he stopped asking. After the monk left, he drew a very good fortune, which made him feel very happy. He felt that the heavy feeling was finally relieved, and he returned to the village with some joy.
As soon as the miller entered the house, he saw the village midwife at home, and his heart was suddenly confused again. When the midwife saw him back, she came to him and told him the good news: "A son was born!" He came to his wife, his heart was in a mess. Looking at the baby in the cradle, the words of the woman in white that day were like an invisible net covering him tightly. Although there was no joy in his heart, the son's round and mellow face looked very tender eyes, but they were wide open, and the pupils seemed to see nothing, but the expression on his face was communicating with you clearly.
(three)
The miller gently lifted up his son's chubby, white and tender little hands. Those hands seemed to hold all hope and held him tightly, making it hard for him to let go. Feeling the warmth brought by his son, he suddenly made up his mind: "Even if the sky falls, I can't let my son get hurt!"
He resolutely told his wife who was lying in bed about his encounter with the woman in white, and said to her: "As long as I can save the child, I would rather go with her!" After hearing this, his wife was silent for a while, and then said: "Be more careful in the future and don't let the child get close to the water!"
Another year passed. Seeing their son grow up to be lively and energetic, the miller and his wife gradually felt relieved. However, his family became richer and richer, even countless times more than before. Such good luck could not make him happy, because he knew that the woman in white would come to him sooner or later to fulfill her promise.
In a blink of an eye, the son had grown to be seven years old. He was not only strong, but also more sensible. He saw his mother had washed the clothes, so he hurried over to help dry them. His mother was busy wiping the long bamboo pole used to dry the clothes. The diligent son picked up the large wooden basin for washing clothes and handed it to his mother. The water in the basin accidentally poured onto his hands. The son's hands suddenly became soft and he had no strength at all.
The wooden basin fell to the ground with a "bang", and the son's bewildered expression made the couple's hearts, which had calmed down a little, rise again. So the miller discussed with his wife and said, "When I was working in Pai Shang, I knew a great old hunter who lived in a neighboring village a hundred miles upstream of the river. His family has been hunting for generations, and their ancestors have passed down a hunting skill. The old hunter is over sixty years old, but he is still very healthy. No matter what kind of prey he hunts in the mountains, it will not escape his hands, and he has never failed to catch fish in the river. If we send our son to his school, maybe he can avoid bad luck."
Ten years later, the old hunter finally died of old age. When his son returned home, he had grown into a big man, with strong muscles. Not only did he have plenty of strength to do rough work, but he also walked much faster than his peers in the village. The couple was very happy, so they asked someone to go to the town to buy a lot of cloth, and invited a tailor to make clothes overnight, and dressed their son inside and out. Seeing that his son looked particularly energetic, the miller asked someone to act as a matchmaker and went to the town to bring back a young and beautiful girl. After the girl met her son, they were both very satisfied. The whole village was invited to the wedding banquet, and the wedding firecrackers were set off for a whole day. The smoke from the firecrackers drifted far and wide along the river.
The son lived with his stepfather and developed the habit of going out early. The sun had already hung above the treetops, but after a night of hustle and bustle, the village seemed very quiet. The son and his new wife came early to the new land bought by his parents. This land was not far from the miller's new mill. There was a small stream in the middle of the mountain road separating the mill. There was a stone arch bridge built on the stream. The stone arch bridge was built with large bluestones. There were two very delicately carved stone piers on both sides of the bridge deck, almost the same size. People crossing the bridge, whether carrying a load or a bundle of firewood, liked to rest on the stone piers.
The new daughter-in-law had never seen such a delicate and exquisite stone arch bridge and was very curious. She made the excuse that she wanted to go to her father's mill and asked her son to accompany her to walk and have a look at the stone arch bridge.
The two of them followed the mountain road and walked towards the mill. Just as they reached the bridge, a rabbit suddenly emerged from the bushes and darted into the rapeseed field next to them. When the son saw the rabbit, he immediately became like an experienced hunter and chased after it. With such a swift speed, no matter how agile the rabbit was, it could not escape.
The son rushed over and grabbed the rabbit firmly in his hand. After catching the rabbit, he quickly came to his father's mill, took out a sickle from the mill, and then swiftly skinned the rabbit by the river nearby. The son's ability to skin the rabbit was as skillful as that of a butcher cutting an ox, and he finished skinning the rabbit in a short while.
The river outside the mill was very deep and the water was clear. Seeing that his hands were stained with rabbit blood, he put his hands into the water to wash them. The river water in the early morning was particularly cool. The son was feeling the coolness of the river water when suddenly the river water made a "whoosh!" sound and a woman in white slowly emerged from the water. The woman was as transparent as the river water.
The son had followed the old hunter before, and had often gone hunting in the mountains and fishing in the river. He had seen a lot of the world, but the scene before him was the first time he had seen it, and he was stunned. The woman in white stared at him coldly with eyes like river water, and a wet hand slowly stretched out to him. The hand suddenly became very long. The son couldn't help but shudder, and then lost consciousness.
(Four)
The new wife saw her husband catch the rabbit and went to the mill first, but she didn't pay much attention to it. It was not until noon when she left the field and prepared to go home to cook that she remembered that she needed the rabbit her husband caught to cook, but she didn't see her husband. She became a little anxious. After returning home, she took her parents-in-law, who looked a little old, to find the mill. On the river bank outside the mill, she found a sickle, a peeled rabbit skin and a pair of shoes left by her husband. Then she suddenly realized: "My husband is in trouble."
The family walked back and forth along the upper and lower banks of the river, constantly calling out the names of "son, husband", but apart from the miserable cries, everything seemed silent on both sides of the river.
The new bride thought of her husband's brief love, and her heart was torn apart until she felt exhausted. She thought and thought, and fell asleep on the bed unconsciously. In her dream, she vaguely felt that she was looking for her husband with a group of people. She didn't know any of these people. They took her to climb mountains and cross rivers, walk through streets and alleys, and walked a long way. Finally, they came to a large meadow full of flowers. Seeing a small house in the meadow, the new bride was eager to find her husband and walked straight in. There was a white-haired old woman sitting in the house. The old woman listened to her story and readily agreed to help her find her husband. The new bride couldn't help laughing happily, as if her husband would come back to her tomorrow.
The next morning, the new bride woke up early and remembered the dream, and ran to the riverside of the mill to look for her husband. The river was very wide in the daytime, and everything was very clear. The river was still flowing quietly as usual, and the river seemed empty, with no one in sight.
She searched for a long time along the river bank. Looking at the quiet world on both sides, she suddenly had an idea: "Why not try it out? I might as well look for the big meadow and the old woman who promised to help me according to the scene in my dream. Maybe I can really see my husband whom I miss day and night?"
After returning home, the new bride ignored the advice and opposition of her elderly parents-in-law and simply packed a few pieces of luggage and boarded the bamboo raft on the river. The old boatman who was making a living on the bamboo raft felt very sympathetic when he heard her story. He ignored his business on the bamboo raft and took her along the river for a whole day to many villages to look for her.
It was getting dark. At a river wharf near a town, the new bride saw several bamboo rafts carrying cotton, cloth and oil docked nearby. Worried that it would delay the boatman's bamboo raft business, she declined the boatman's kindness and got off the boat. This is a small town, less than two miles wide, with a large river to the east and endless mountains on the back. It looks like a noisy small town. There is a city gate on the hillside near the river to the east. The city gate is very high. You can overlook the entire town and both sides of the river by climbing the city tower. On the opposite bank of the river is a tea forest about one mile wide, surrounded by mountains, which is also endless. There are also patches of bamboo forests, which are shrouded in clouds and fog from a distance. On the east gate tower, three large characters in regular script are written: "Wotuodi".
It turned out that the name of this town was Wotuodi. Both sides of the main street in the town were full of hotels, shops, noodle shops and snack bars. Under the night sky, it was very lively. She had lived in this town before she got married, so she naturally did not feel unfamiliar in this small town. Seeing that it was getting late, she casually found a hotel to stay in.
The hotel was neither big nor small. There was a back door that led directly to a small temple called the Mawang Temple. Outside the temple gate was a fake rock mountain about ten meters in diameter and three or four meters high. Next to it was a large oval pine tree with a mottled trunk, as thick as an arm, and nearly ten meters high. The new bride walked through the back door to the small temple. There were no Bodhisattvas in the temple, only two or three horse troughs and a clay statue of the God of Horses. She felt bored and returned to her room.
While missing her husband, the new bride suddenly had an idea: "I have searched so many places for this big grassland and the old woman I met in my dream, but I still can't find her. Could she be a deity in the temple?"
The next day, the innkeeper told her, "There is another Guanyin Temple in the town, just to the left of the town." When the new bride arrived there, she saw a large temple surrounded by dense trees. There was a stage outside the door. In front of the stage was a flat ground paved with stone slabs. After walking for more than twenty steps, there was a large hall opposite. In the middle of the hall was a statue of Tathagata Buddha, on the left was Guanyin Bodhisattva, on the right was Kitchen God Bodhisattva, and on both sides were 18 Arhats and 24 Bodhisattvas of the heavens. On both sides of the hall was a big bell and a big drum, shining brightly and golden. In front of the Bodhisattvas, there were also some cured meat, sausages, cakes, sweet wine and fruits. People came one after another to burn incense, burn paper, kowtow and bow. Seeing this, the new bride also went to the town to buy some cakes and candies, and put them in front of the Bodhisattvas, praying that the old woman she could find would see her husband.
(five)
The moon was particularly bright and round that night, and she couldn't help thinking: "People say that Wu Gang chopping trees, Chang'e flying to the moon, and the Jade Rabbit changing medicine are all auspicious signs of good things. Look at how bright and round the moon is tonight. I will definitely be able to find my husband as I wish!"
While pining for love, she lay there in a daze for a while. Half asleep and half awake, the new bride suddenly saw seven or eight little Taoist priests in various colored clothes coming into the room. They all wore Buddhist beads around their necks, held prayer tablets, ruyi, swords, tokens, and played some musical instruments of different sizes. They said they would take her to the Guanyin Temple in the town to worship the temple. Following these little Taoist priests, she felt like she had climbed many mountain roads and waded through many rivers, and finally found the large meadow full of flowers.
In the hut, the old woman told her, "From today on, on the first full moon night, go to the mill and put the black vest that your father-in-law always wore on the river bank, and then you can see your husband."
Finally, the new bride made it to the full moon day. As soon as the moon came out, the young wife eagerly asked her father-in-law for a black vest, came to the mill, and put the vest on the river bank. She watched the movement in the water eagerly, waiting for a miracle to happen. The wind blew hard on the wide river, and the waves hit the rocks on the river bank, making one sound after another. The bright moon hanging in the sky illuminated the two sides of the river very clearly. There were no bamboo rafts passing by in the river. The wife thought to herself: "I don't know how I can see my husband?"
At this time, she heard the sound of the river water "swooshing", and the water seemed to be rising faster and faster, with waves coming one after another. Then, a big wave came towards her and instantly swept her father-in-law's black vest into the water. It just swayed on the water surface for a moment and then disappeared. She was anxious and rushed to grab the vest.
Suddenly, she found that there seemed to be a person standing in the river. Half of his body was exposed in the empty river surface, looking at her sadly, which scared her.
The new bride took a closer look and realized that the man was her husband. She was delighted and was about to ask her husband why, but suddenly another big wave came and the river surface returned to its original state, calm and empty. The new bride was stunned by the sparkling water under the moonlight, and her mood suddenly became extremely bad.
When she got home again, she didn't bother to answer her family's questions. She went into her room, fell on the bed and cried silently. The strong disappointment and depression made her feel exhausted.
Soon, she fell asleep. In her dream, she dreamed of the meadow full of flowers again. This time, the old woman came out of the hut and said to her, "I will give you a flute! When the next full moon comes, go to the riverside of the mill again and play the most beautiful song with the flute I gave you. Then you will definitely see your husband."
The new bride opened her eyes in a hurry. Under the bright light on the bedside, there was indeed a flute made of top-quality bamboo, inlaid with gold edges. She reached out and gently picked up the flute, feeling as if she had hope again.
At the next full moon, the new bride came to the riverside of the mill as promised. Looking at the bright moon and thinking of her lost husband, she could not help but play the flute with great emotion. The melodious sound of the flute made the empty river surface look very charming, and the surroundings suddenly became silent, and the river seemed to have lost its gurgling sound.
Along with the sound of the flute, the husband appeared without knowing when. He was still half exposed above the water, and his eyes looked at his wife sadly. Seeing her husband again, the new bride was filled with joy and hope, and she reached out to catch him. But she didn't notice that the flute in her hand suddenly fell into the water, and then a big wave came and swept her husband into the water. She watched her husband disappear in the river again, and she didn't have time to ask a word.
To her relief, she had a third dream. The old woman told her: "When the next full moon comes, put the bridal dress you wore when you got married by the river near the mill, and you will see your husband."
The wife followed the old woman's instructions and placed her wedding dress on the river bank outside the mill. The river water roared loudly, and a big wave swept the wedding dress into the river. The new wife saw her husband again. He emerged from the water, his body rising higher and higher, and soon he was completely out of the water. He stepped onto the shore in one step, and then hugged his wife's neck.
The young daughter-in-law suddenly felt extremely happy. She lost all her strength and collapsed in her husband's arms.
Unexpectedly, the river water rose more and more violently at this time, and waves came one after another, pushing them into the river. The river was very turbulent and soon separated them. The young wife desperately called for her husband in the water, but soon she choked on too much water and gradually lost consciousness.
(six)
The new bride was rescued and brought ashore in an unfamiliar village. She had no idea how far away from home she was, let alone any news of her husband. There was a pagoda about three or four meters high near the river in the village, built entirely of large white stones. The houses in the village were all close to the river bank, and there were stilt houses behind them.
To the north of the village is a mountain with towering old trees. On the mountain is a small nunnery called Ciyun Nunnery. There is a large Buddhist hall in the nunnery, with two goddesses, Jinxiao and Yinxiao, enshrined in front. There are also 24 statues of Bodhisattvas in the hall, and a pair of bells and drums hanging on the door. Outside the nunnery gate, except for a large field of more than 20 mu, the rest is a meadow full of wild flowers.
The villagers were very sympathetic when they learned about her experience. Two nuns in the nunnery vacated a guest room in Ciyun Nunnery for her to stay in and help take care of the goats. She saw that the surrounding area was lush with flowers and grass, which was very suitable for grazing sheep, so she asked the villagers to send their sheep to her to take care of. When the villagers heard that she was willing to help take care of their sheep, they were very happy and drove their sheep to the nunnery for her to take care of. Gradually, they regarded her as a relative in the village.
When chatting with villagers, she often liked to tell stories that villagers loved to hear, such as "Hou Yi shooting the sun, Jade Rabbit changing medicine, Chang'e flying to the moon". They often took the opportunity to worship Buddha in the nunnery and brought candles, tea oil or rice, fruits and other things to give to her. Sometimes, they also told her some things such as "what Bodhisattva was born, which real person attained enlightenment, how many Arhats ascended to heaven", etc. Some young people came to the temple to ask for divination, and secretly put some fruits and vegetables they grew, or cigarettes, alcohol and other items, hoping to have a son in the next year.
Time passed quickly, and another year passed. The fulfilling work made the young daughter-in-law gradually get used to the life in the village. However, in her heart, she could not erase her longing for her husband, and often cried silently under the lonely lamp.
That night, she suddenly felt very tired physically and mentally, so she went to bed early. After sleeping for a while, she heard someone calling her name in a daze. She looked up and found that it was her husband, and she couldn't help but burst into tears. But her husband's expression was very cold, and he said to her: "Forget me! It is impossible for me to return to the world. Today I come to say goodbye to you! There will be a girl in this village getting married tomorrow. That girl has a cousin from the next room, and he is your future marriage." After saying that, he disappeared immediately. The new bride hurriedly shouted loudly, but when she woke up, it was just a dream, and she was covered in sweat.
At dawn, the sound of suona was heard in the village. When the villagers got married, it was fashionable to welcome the bride. A dozen people carried a bridal sedan, a pair of gongs, a pair of suonas, and wine, meat, rice, etc., and carried the bride to the groom's house with relatives and friends. When the bride left home, her relatives and cousins had to carry the bridal sedan on their backs and accompany the bride to the groom's house. The groom's family had to set up a table of wine in the village and invite relatives and friends to attend.
At the wedding banquet at the groom's house, the bride's cousin happened to sit next to the young bride. Because this cousin gave her his goats to graze, the two naturally started chatting and became close friends.
At night, the young man came to the nunnery again and invited her to enjoy the moon together. He also played his best flute for her. This reminded her of the scene when she played the flute to save her husband on the river bank of the mill on a full moon night. The sad past made her burst into tears. The young man saw her and asked her why she was crying. She told him her story one by one. Her story moved him so much that tears fell unconsciously from his eyes.
He finally proposed to her, and she agreed, thinking that her husband was no longer alive. They happily returned to the town where the new bride came from and lived happily.