Explore Chapter 8 of 'Moment in Peking' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
After the entire Zeng family returned to Beijing, Manniang and her mother still lived in Tai'an. Mrs. Sun had been in frail health since her husband's death, plagued by frequent illnesses and a languishing spirit. Before long, she too passed away, leaving Manniang utterly alone and without support.
The Old Lady Zeng, ever concerned in Beijing, often dispatched servants to Tai'an to check on Manniang. Perceiving her utter solitude and lack of support, she resolved to bring Manniang to Beijing and let her marry Pingya, thus completing the union.
And so, on a clear, crisp autumn day with high skies, Manniang bid a sorrowful farewell to her mother's coffin and, accompanied by the servants sent by the Zeng family, embarked on the journey northward.
The Zeng family solemnized the wedding of Manniang and Pingya in a grand ceremony. Dressed in a bridal gown of crimson silk, Manniang's heart was swept by a flood of mixed emotions. She thought of her departed parents, yet also found comfort in the thought that she had at last found a home.
Manniang remained by his bedside day and night, decocting herbal medicines and never once removing her clothes to rest.
Pingya's condition worsened with each passing day, and Manniang grew frantic with worry. She prayed to the gods and Buddhas, longing to trade her own life for Pingya's recovery.
Yet Pingya eventually succumbed. Manniang was overwhelmed with grief, and several times she attempted to take her own life, but was restrained by the maidservant, who stood guard over her.
The entire Zeng household was deeply moved by Manniang's unwavering virtue and loyalty. Old Lady Zeng summoned Manniang to her side and said, "My dear child, we truly appreciate your loyalty and kindness. You shall forever be a member of the Zeng family, and we will never treat you unkindly."
From that day on, Manniang resolved to uphold her widow's chastity and lived a secluded life within the Zeng household. She observed a strict vegetarian diet and chanted Buddhist sutras daily to perform rites for the deliverance of Pingya's soul. The Zeng family held her in the highest esteem and never allowed her to suffer the slightest grievance.