世道变迁，刘员外早就搬回老家桃花村了。几经周折，常公被一个可怜他的车夫送到了桃花村的坟地。

The world had changed, and Publican Liu’s family moved back to his home village, Peach Flower Village, a long time ago. After a lot of trouble, Constant Fair was sent to the cemetery of Peach Flower Village by a carter who took pity on him.

在坟地，常公看了每一个坟的碑文，没发现刘员外的名字。他太累了，就在一个无字墓碑前坐下来休息。这时，一个披麻戴孝的女人溜溜达达地来到他跟前。常公赶忙站起来，问：“敢问这位大姐，这是谁的坟？”

At the cemetery, Constant Fair read the inscriptions on every grave, but he did not find Publican Liu's name. He was so tired that he sat down to rest in front of a wordless tombstone. At that moment, a woman wearing mourning clothes came to him. He hurriedly stood up and asked, "Dare I ask this big sister, whose grave is this?"

女人回答：“这是我爸爸的坟。”

常公忙问：“能问问，你爸叫什么名字吗？”

Woman replied, “This is my father's grave.”

Constant Fair hurriedly asked, “Can I ask what your father's name is?”

女人说：“我爸爸说我不是他的女儿，害得他死不瞑目，不允许我在他坟前说他的名字。”

两个人就在坟前聊起来了。常公先讲了自己的故事；那女人也讲了她的故事。

Woman said, “My father said I was not his daughter, caused him to die with eyes open, would not allow me to say his name at his grave.”

The two then talked at the grave. Constant Fair first told his story; then the woman told hers.

女人说：“我出生，腿上就有桃花胎痣，所以人们叫我桃花女。我长大选夫很挑剔，找不到。我爸为我指定了一个丈夫，我们家药庄里的一个长工。他叫常公，傻乎乎的，我不同意。后来，我爸爸让人收拾了一个小院儿，他打算把我和常公圈禁在那儿，不结婚就不放我们出来。一天半夜，我制造了一个机会，让常公的一个朋友溜了出去，结果常公就出走了。我爸爸派人到处找他。几年后，我爸爸病重，我们就搬回了老家。没多久，我爸爸就过世了。”

Woman said, “When I was born, have a peach flower birthmark on my leg, so people called me Peach Flower Girl. When I grew up, I was picky in choosing husband, couldn't find one. My father appointed one for me, a longtime laborer in our medicine farm. His name was Constant Fair, was a fool. I did not agree. Later, my father had a small courtyard built up, and he planned to confine him and me there, not letting us out until we married. In the middle of a night, I created an opportunity for one of Constant Fair's friends to slip out, so Constant Fair ran away. My father sent people to look for him everywhere. A few years later, my dad became seriously ill, so we moved back to our home village. Not long after, my dad passed away.”

桃花女说：“爸爸临死前对我说，‘你不是一个真正的女人，命中没有丈夫，也享受不到作为女人的快乐，因此，我为你拘了个丈夫。你只有嫁给他，才能得到幸福。我死之后，有一天，会有一个人来我的坟前祭拜我。到那时，你拿着这两封信：一封是我的遗嘱；另一封是我总结一生所学所作而成的八个字。你让他猜这八个字。如果他猜到了，他就是你的丈夫。你就跪着请求嫁给他。’我爸爸递给这把匕首（如图）而且对我说，‘他不同意，你就用这个自杀。’”

Peach Flower Girl said: “Before my father died, he said to me, ‘You are not a real woman, you are not destined to have a husband, and you can't enjoy the happiness of being a woman; therefore, I have detained a husband for you. You can only be happy if you marry him. One day, after I die, a man will come to my grave to common wealth and bow to me. At that time, you will take these two letters: one is my will; another is eight hieroglyphics that I summarized what I have learned and done in my whole life. You ask him to guess the eight hieroglyphics. If he does, he is your husband. You kneel and ask to marry him.' My father handed this dagger (see picture 2.3-2) to me and said, ‘If he doesn't agree, you kill yourself with this.'"

桃花女继续说：“多年过去了，也没人来拜祭他的坟。我也没心思嫁人了。前些日子，听说一个人在到处找个坟。我就让管家去看看怎么回事。管家跟着你，看见你晕倒了，就把你送到这儿来了。一会儿我派人给你送点儿吃的来！”桃花女说完，转身回村子了。

Peach Flower Girl continued, “Years passed, and no one came to visit his grave. I had not the heart to marry anyone either. A few days ago, I heard that a man was going around looking for a grave. I asked my butler to see what was going on. He followed you and saw you fainting, so he carried you here. I will send someone to bring you some food later.” Peach Flower Girl finished her talk, turned around heading back to the village.

（2）心病的治疗 Mental Illness Treatment

常公觉得身上舒服多了，胸口还是很堵，在坟前放声大哭，一边哭一边想：什么是刘员外一辈子做的事？他连想了两天两夜，没想出来。

Constant Fair felt more comfortable, but chest is still congested, in front of the grave to cry loudly, while crying while thinking: what is Publican Liu’s life doing? He thought about it for two days and two nights but could not figure it out.

第三天黎明，常公听见有人叫他的名字，像是他的父亲。这时那个人又说：“常公，你真的连我都认不出来了？” 那个人一边摆下饭菜，一边说：“你看我拿来的，都是你小时候最喜欢吃的。” 常公这才注意到这个送饭人是小时候照顾他，对他最好的粮伯。

At dawn on the third day, Constant Fair heard someone call his name, like his father. At that moment, the man said again, “Constant Fair! Do you not even recognize me!?” As the man set down the meal, he said, “Look at what I brought, all your favorite foods when you were a child.” Only then did Constant Fair notice that this meal delivery man was Uncle Grain, who had taken care of him as a child and treated him the best.

粮伯说：“老东家在世的时候，后院儿做啥好吃的；他总想着让我给你送去一些。每次他都告诉我， ‘你就说是谁谁送的，别说我送的。’这不，都是你喜欢的，快趁热吃吧，暖暖身子。”

Uncle Grain said, “When the old master was alive, he would always ask me to bring you some of the delicious food made in the backyard kitchen. Every time, he told me, ‘Just say whoever sent it, do not say I sent it.’ These are all your favorites, eat them while they're hot to warm your body.”

粮伯又说：“前天，小姐说，你没病。我来给你送饭，我看你全身都是病。昨晚，我去我九舅家，他是这一带有名的郎中。我把你的情况跟他说了，苦苦地求他。我舅舅被逼无奈，就跟我说：‘这可性命攸关，不可以跟外人说。昨天，我们几个老郎中议论了常公的事。你们刘老东家是个有名的大善人，这方圆几百里的人都知道。可是，他对常公极不公平，致使他有性命之忧。刘老东家是个罕见的高人，由他来下死不瞑目这个诅咒，那肯定是作得天衣无缝。’”

Uncle Grain continued, “The day before yesterday, Lady said that you were not sick. I came to bring you food, saw that you were sick all over. Last night, I went to my Ninth Uncle's house, who is a famous medical doctor in this area. I told him about your condition and begged him bitterly. My uncle was cornered, so he told me, ‘This is a matter of life and death, you must not tell outsiders. Yesterday, a few of us old doctors discussed Constant Fair’s case. Your old Master Liu is a famous benefactor, who all know for hundreds of kilometers around. But he was so unfair to Mr. Fair that he put his life in danger. Publican Liu was a rare man of the world, and if he were to cast the curse of ‘Death with Eyes Open’, it would certainly be done seamlessly.’”

粮伯又说：“我就奉承我舅舅：舅舅见多识广。我到底也没听明白常公的病因是什么？我们老东家让常公猜总结他一生所学所作而成的八个字，就常公那点儿文墨，怎么猜得着！你能不能给我说得简单点儿！我得听明白了，若不然，不是白来求您了！”

Uncle Grain said: "I then flattered my uncle: Uncle you very knowledgeable! But in the end, I didn't understand what the cause of Constant Fair's illness was. Our old master asked Constant Fair to guess the eight words that summarized his life's learning and doing, but how could Constant Fair guess out with his little literal inks? Can you make it simple for me? I need to understand, otherwise I came begging you for nothing!”

“我舅舅说，常公不也是个读书人么！他在刘公身边长大，他的学识怎么会差呢！”

“My uncle said, Constant Fair is also a scholar! He grew up with Publican Liu, how could he be less educated?”

“我说，常公是我看着长大的，他从小儿就笨，上学怕挨老师打，常逃学。老员外信任我，让我照顾他。我是偷懒，两头瞒着。我们老员外每次问我，我都说常公聪明，又勤奋好学，可是常公他从小就笨，也不好学。后来，刘员外让我把他喜欢的书借给常公看。常公看没看的，我都告诉他说，‘常公非常喜欢，看了两三遍，都快会背诵了’。”

“I said, I watched Constant Fair grow up, he was stupid since he was a child! He was afraid of being beaten by the teacher at school, often skipped school. Old Master Liu trusted me and asked me to take care of him. I was lazy and concealed on either end. Every time our old Master Liu asked me, I told him that Constant Fair was smart and diligent, but he was always stupid and didn't learn well. Later, Master Liu asked me to lend Constant Fair his favorite books. Whether Constant Fair read it or not, I told old Master Liu that, ‘Constant Fair liked it so much that he read it two or three times, could almost recite it'.”

“我舅舅骂我，‘你怎么这么办事呢！刘公的大事都坏在你身上了！’。”

“My uncle scolded me, ‘Why do you work like this! Publican Liu's godly business is ruined by you!’.”

“我说，九舅！你骂我，你打我也没有用。如果常公病死了，我不是枉为一世人么！那我也活不长了。常公他从小就心地善良，又孝顺，他怎么会得这种怪病呢！这不是有人陷害他吗！”

“I say, Uncle Ninth! It's useless for you to scold me, even to beat me. If Constant Fair sickly died, haven’t I been a man in vain! Then I won't live long. Constant Fair has been kind and filial since he was a child, how could he get this strange disease! Isn't this someone setting him up!”

“我九舅立刻说，‘这就对了！刘公死不瞑目；他和常公有父子之实。常公，他是大逆不道，自作孽，不可活呀！可是他又是被人陷害的。这就是病的所在。这事儿要是传出去，你们家刘老员外将是身败名裂！难道连这你都不懂！那现在刘家监视咱们村子所有的人干什么！”

“My Ninth Uncle immediately said, ‘That's right! Publica Liu died with eyes open; and he and Constant Fair had a factual father-son relationship. Constant Fair, he is a great rebel, self-inflicted sin, could not live! But he was framed also. That's what's illness with him. If word of this gets out, your Publican Liu will be disgraced! Don't you understand? Then what's the Liu family spying on everyone in our village now!”

粮伯对常公说：“我就给我九舅跪下了，求他给想个办法。”

Uncle Grain said to Constant Fair, “I then knelt down to my Ninth Uncle and begged him to come up with a solution.”

“我九舅说，‘没想到，这事儿还把你给圈进去了。也是，这事儿出在咱桃花村，我们几个老郎中都感到沮丧窝火。这药就是昨天我们几个老郎中商量的结果。但是心病不除，常公身体上的病是不会痊愈的’。”

“Ninth Uncle said, ‘I didn't realize that this matter had brought you into the circle. Yes, this happened in our Peach Flower Village, several of us old doctors feel frustrated and irritated. This medicine is the result of our discussion yesterday. But if the mental illness is not removed, Constant Fair's physical illness will not be cured.'”

粮伯又说：“我对我九舅说，‘我们老东家是个饱学之士，他让常公猜八个字，就常公那点儿学问，他猜不着啊！依舅舅你看，那几个字是什么？”

Uncle Grain continued to say, “I said to my Ninth Uncle, ‘Our old Master is a learned man, and he asked Constant Fair to guess eight hieroglyphics, but with Constant Fair's little learning, he couldn't guess them! What, according to you, Uncle, are those words?”

“我舅舅立刻就生气了！大叫，‘梁子伯！论辈分，我是你舅舅；论年龄，你还比我大两岁呢！这话你也说得出口！”

“My uncle immediately became angry! He shouted, ‘Good Son’s Uncle (that is real name for Uncle Grain)! In terms of seniority, I'm your uncle; in terms of age, you're still two years older than me.' How can you say that?”

“后来，我舅舅解释,‘老东家早年从师于太虚真人（注，亦作无位真人，即真如，自然法）学道，是太虚真人的关门弟子，独得真传。论师从辈分，他是我的师叔。我师叔布下的局，我来解，那我不是欺师灭祖么！不过从刘员外的为人来说，他不是个咬文嚼字，卖弄玄虚的人；对于一个读书人来说，那应该是几个常见的字。’”

“Later, my uncle explained: ‘Publican Liu learned Taoism from Extremely-Vague Real-Human (Annotation, also being called Non-Position Real-Human that is True Suchness, is nature law) in his early years and was the closed disciple, who had received real teachings. In terms of seniority, he is my teacher uncle. My teacher uncle set up a trap and I'm here to solve it, that is I am cheating on teacher, terminating ancestors! But in terms of Publican Liu's personality, he's not a man who bites off more than he can chew and shows off his metaphysics; for a scholar, those should be a few common hieroglyphics.’”

“我问我九舅，那我能为常公做些什么？”

“I asked my Ninth Uncle what I could do for Constant Fair then?”

“他说，‘把你们刘员外让你背着常公，对他所做的事，全都如实告诉他！让他顺了刘员外的心愿，才是唯一的出路，否则，必死无疑。’”

“He said, ‘Tell Constant Fair truthfully all that Publican Liu had asked you to do to him behind his back！Let him comply with Publican Liu's wishes, that's the only way out, otherwise, he surely dies.'"

梁伯又四周看了看，把参苓白术散等内服外用的药交给了常公，小声说：“我得走了，若不然他们可能就再也不让我给你送饭了” 。

Uncle Grain looked around again, handed Constant Fair the medicines for internal and external use, such as Shenling Baizhu San (see figure 2.3-5), and whispered, “I have to go, if not they may never let me bring you food again.”

（3）宿命通 Fate Through

常公送走了粮伯，一边流着眼泪吃饭，一边想，时而高兴，时而悲伤，时而哭泣，时而愤怒，时而悠闲，想着，想着，他就想起他小时候的事来了。常公自幼丧母，和有病的父亲一起生活。一天，他看见街上的小孩儿吃糖葫芦，他哭着朝爸爸要。他爸爸抱着他来到刘员外家的大院儿外，指着刘家的大房子说： “你和这家的大小姐有婚约，可是咱家穷哦！咱就不指望这门亲事了。爸爸有病，等爸爸不在了，你就到他家来。等你长大了，自己挣钱，到那时候，你爱吃什么就买什么！” 这时，常公想出了那八个字的前四个字：前世姻缘。

Constant Fair sent Uncle Grain away, while eating while tears dripping. He was sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes crying, sometimes angry, sometimes leisurely, and thinking, thinking, thinking, he remembered what happened to him when he was a child. Constant Fair lost his mother when he was young and lived with his sick father. One day, he saw children eating candied haws on the street, and he cried and asked his father for them. His father carried him outside the courtyard of Publican Liu, pointed to the big house of the Liu family and said: "You are engaged to the eldest lady of this family, but our family is poor! We don't expect this marriage. Dad is sick. When Dad is gone, you come to his house. When you grow up and make money by yourself, then you can buy whatever you like!" At this time, Constant Fair came up with the first four hieroglyphics of eight, “former generation’s marriage reasoning factor”.

↪️返回第2章《启蒙》的目录 Return to Content of Chapter 2 Revelation