Explore Chapter 2 of "八十一梦 五子登科" with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
It is said that Jin Ziping was staying at a hotel in Beiping, tossing and turning all night, unable to fall asleep. He thought of the painting he had seen that day at Liulichang, which depicted a beautiful woman leaning on a railing and smiling-a woman of devastating beauty, capable of toppling cities. He longed to go see it again immediately, but it was already late, so he had to resign himself to waiting until the next day.
The next morning, just as Jin Ziping woke up, he heard someone knocking at the door. He opened it to see a servant dressed in a long gown and mandarin jacket, bearing a brand-new Western suit in his hands, and said respectfully, "Mr. Jin, our master instructed that you change into this suit and then accompany me to the mansion." Jin Ziping, greatly puzzled, asked, "Who is your master? I don't know him." The servant replied, "You will know when you get there, sir." Though skeptical, Jin Ziping saw that the Western suit was of fine quality and thought, "Since I am here, I might as well see what unfolds." So he changed into it.
He followed the servant out of the hotel, got into a car, and soon arrived in front of a large mansion. The vermilion gate and high walls, with two stone lions crouching at the entrance, were imposing in style. Jin Ziping alighted from the car, and the servant led him inside. They passed through several covered walkways and reached a drawing room. The room was lavishly furnished, and in the center hung a central scroll painting depicting The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, a Chinese legend. As he was admiring it, he suddenly heard laughter from behind a screen, and then an old man with white hair and beard emerged, cupping his hands in greeting and said, "Mr. Jin, I've long admired you! Indeed, I've long admired you!" Jin Ziping quickly returned the greeting and asked his name. The old man said, "My surname is Liu, and my given name is De. Yesterday at Liulichang, I saw that you could not bear to part with that painting, and I thought you must be a true connoisseur. So today I specially invited you to my humble abode for a conversation."