Classical Chinese Literature Popular Reader -- A Dream of Splendid Dreams (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: (Ming) Feng Menglong / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
Features: It is said in the modern Zhejiang Qizhou Prefecture, there was a man named Wang Feng. His brother was Wang Chun, and the two brothers each had a daughter: Wang Chun's daughter was named Qiongying, and Wang Feng's was called Qiongzhēn. Qiongying was betrothed to the son of a wealthy man named Pan Baimillion in the same prefecture, Pan Hua. Qiongzhēn was betrothed to the son of a magistrate named Xiao, Xiao Ya. Both engagements were arranged when they were very young. Qiongying was only ten years old when her mother passed away first, and then her father died too.2 At the end of his life, Wang Chun entrusted his daughter Qiongying to his younger brother, instructing him, “I have no sons or daughters, only this girl. Treat her as your own daughter. When she grows up, marry her well to Pan’s family. Give her all the dowry and clothing left by your sister-in-law. The original betrothal gifts from the Pan family, including the estate, should all be given to her as funds for her personal expenses. Don’t let me down!” After giving these instructions, he breathed his last. The funeral was completed, and Wang Feng took his niece Qiongying back to his home to be raised alongside his own daughter Qiongzhēn.
One New Year’s Day, Pan Hua and Xiao Ya arrived at Wang Feng’s home to pay New Year’s greetings without prior arrangement. Pan Hua had a fair face and red lips, like a beautiful woman, and was called the “Jade Child” by everyone. Xiao Ya, however, had a face covered in pimples and a gap-toothed smile, resembling a demon from the underworld. The contrast between the two was striking—the beauty seemed even more radiant, while the ugliness appeared even more dull. Moreover, Pan Hua wore dazzling clothes, deliberately showing off his wealth by changing them frequently. Xiao Ya, a simple and honest man, did not care much about his attire. As the saying goes, “Buddhas are adorned in gold, and people are dressed in clothes.” Most people are superficial, only caring about appearance and not character. No matter how old or young, male or female in the Wang family, who didn’t admire Pan’s young master for his beauty, as if he were a reincarnation of Pan An? They secretly whispered and made fun of the demon-like Xiao Ya. Wang Feng himself couldn’t help but feel pleased at the sight.
Before long, the magistrate Xiao passed away while serving in his post. Xiao Ya returned to mourn and bring back the coffin. Although his family was a distinguished one with generations of honest officials, they had no wealth left after his death, and their fortunes only declined further. Pan Baimillion, on the other hand, was a sudden, and his family’s wealth grew day by day. Wang Feng suddenly had a wicked idea: “The Xiao family is poor, and their daughter-in-law is ugly. The Pan family is wealthy, and their daughter-in-law is handsome. What if I secretly exchange Qiongying and Qiongzhēn? Who would know? I won’t let my own daughter suffer in a poor family.” With this plan in mind, when the time came for the marriages, he dressed Qiongzhēn as his niece and married her to the Pan family, giving her all the dowry and estate left by her brother. Instead, he took Qiongying as his own daughter and married her to the demon-like Xiao Ya, providing only a small dowry. Qiongying had no choice but to obey her uncle, though she was angry and dared not speak out.
However, after the marriage, Pan Hua, relying on his family’s wealth, neglected his studies and business, devoting himself entirely to gambling and debauchery. His father scolded him repeatedly but to no avail, and eventually died out of frustration. Pan Hua became even more reckless, associating with ruffians and indulging in wine and entertainment. Within a decade, he squandered all his million-dollar fortune, leaving him with nothing. His father-in-law tried to help him multiple times, but it was like adding snow to a fire—useless. In the end, driven by hunger and cold, he secretly planned to take his wife and become a servant in someone else’s household without his father-in-law’s knowledge. When Wang Feng heard this news, he took Qiongzhēn back home to raise her and forbade Pan Hua from visiting. Pan Hua wandered to an unknown place and disappeared.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ya worked hard at his studies and later achieved fame, rising to the position of Minister of State. Qiongying was granted the title of First Lady. Here is a poem to prove it:
The rich and poor are not always set,
Fate may turn from hardship to wealth.
Though you may deceive and hide the truth,
The spirits and gods will judge justly.
P1-2