（3/4 桃花劫 Peach Flower Catastrophe）
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。
Constant Fair sent Uncle Grain away, while
eating while tears dripping. He was sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes
crying, sometimes angry, sometimes leisurely. Thinking, and thinking, he
remembered what happened to him when he was a child.
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（注4）。
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, “formers’ marriage
factor (note 4)”.
注4，当常公回忆出了三岁之前的婚约，就有了宿命通，也就是常公懂得了刘员外过去一直对他好的原因。编者我听这故事时，梁伯还说，宿命通和诅咒死不瞑目你们必须明白，否则这就不是桃花劫故事了。下死不瞑目这个诅咒就是一辈子不断地对被诅咒的人做好事，而只求他一件事。被诅咒的人知道或者后来知道了下咒人的意愿，有能力办却没有兑现。等下咒人死了，被诅咒的人就受不了了，死不了也活不长。这个诅咒只有顺解，就是按照下咒人的意思去做。
Note 4: When Constant
Fair recalled the marriage contract his parents had arranged for him before he
was three years old, he gained Fate Through. This means that
Constant Fair understood why Publican Liu had always been kind to him. When I,
editor, heard the story, Uncle Liang said that you must understand Fate Through
and the curse of Die with Eyes Open, otherwise, the story wouldn't be Peach
Flower Catastrophe. To cast this curse is to keep doing good affairs to the
being cursed person for life, while only asking him one favor for return. That
person knew or later learned of the wish of the curser, had the ability to do
it but did not fulfill it. After the curse caster dies, the being cursed person
falls into trouble, even not die, will not live long. There is no other way to
solve this curse, but to fulfill the caster’s wish.
2.4-2
第四天，几个掌柜的来看望常公，说：“实话告诉你吧！老东家去世的时候，我们都在场。老东家真是死不瞑目。他为啥死不瞑目？我们都知道！桃花女从小到大跟她爸宁；老东家说话，她就没信过几句。死不瞑目！还不都是担心她呀！守灵期限还没过，她就咬牙切齿地说： ‘我爸爸死不瞑目，都是让常公那个傻小子给迷的。’ 她发誓要整死你，派人到处找你。”
On the fourth day, three shopkeepers came to
visit Constant Fair and said, “To tell you the truth! We were all present when
the old Boss Liu died. He really could not rest in peace. Why did he die with
eyes open? We all know! Peach Flower Girl is stubborn; she never believed a
word the old Boss Liu said since child. Death with eyes open, all because of
worrying about her! The spirits keeping term had not even passed, so she
gritted her teeth and said, ‘My dad died with eyes open because he was
mesmerized by that stupid guy Constant Fair.’ She swore she would kill you and
sent people around to look for you.”
常公说：“谢谢几位老兄弟的实言相告，但我还是愿意留在这给老东家守灵，想出他的遗言。” 掌柜的们走后，常公就扑在老东家的无字碑上放声大哭。一边哭，一边想，自己从小就笨，书读得不好，常挨老师的打骂。长大后，我学做生意学得慢，老是出错。幸亏老东家的偏袒包庇，我才在努力的挣扎中学了些药剂学赖以为生。自从离开刘老东家，我是有家不能回，有苦无处诉，勉强能养活自己，到现在一事无成。刘老东家偏偏选择了我来照顾这个家，弄得商团分崩离析。哭着哭着，常公感觉到一股股暖流像温水一样从头顶流向全身，之后，他感觉心里身上又比以前舒服多了。
Constant Fair said, “Thank brothers, for your
truthful words, but I am still willing to stay here for spirits keeping, and to
think out his will.” After the shopkeepers left, Constant Fair threw himself on
the Publican Liu's wordless tombstone and cried aloud. While crying, while
thinking, I was stupid since childhood, not good at reading, often beaten and
scolded by teachers. When I grew up, I was slow in learning to do business and
often made mistakes. Fortunately, Publican Liu's favoritism harboring, I strugglingly
learned some pharmacy to rely on for life. Since leaving Liu's family, I could
not return home, and there was no place to complain about the bitter, barely
able to support myself, until now nothing has been accomplished. The old master
Liu chose me to take care of his family, causing the merchant group to fall
apart. Crying, Constant Fair felt a stream of warmth flow like warm water from
top of his head to his whole body, after that, he felt much more comfortable in
his heart and body than before.
第五天，几个掌柜的又来劝常公：“刘老东家博学多才，是个罕见的世外高人，他的心思，我们怎么能猜得到呢！桃花女这人喜怒无常，面善心恶，没人能在她那里得到好结果。为她这样一个女人在这里浪费时间，不值得。走！我们几个老哥们给你凑钱治病，咱们不用她桃花女了！”
On the fifth day, several shopkeepers came to
advise Constant Fair again: "Old Master Liu is erudite and a rare man of
the world, how can we guess his mind! The Peach Flower Girl is a temperamental
person with a goddess’ face and a scorpion’s heart, no one can get a good fruit
with her. It's not worth wasting time here for a woman like her. Go! We several
old brothers will gather money for your treatment; we don't need her Peach
Flower Girl!"
常公说：“谢谢几位老兄弟的实言相告，但我还是愿意留在这给老东家守灵，想出老东家的遗言。” 掌柜的们走后，常公就扑在老东家的无字碑上放声大哭。他一边哭，一边想：是不是我真的没有那样的学问，想不出那样的词！？”
许多天中，常公的朋友们天天来劝他：“猜到了那八个字又会怎样？桃花女也不会按照老东家的意思做呀！你现在病成这样，她愣说你没病。自从你回来了，没人见她为你伤心。她还高兴了，闲着到后院赏花，还有心思去书房读书了。还有人看见她在花园里偷着乐。”
Constant Fair said, “Thank brothers, for your
truthful words, but I am still willing to stay here for spirits keeping and to
figure out old master’s last words.” After the shopkeepers left, Constant Fair
threw himself on the wordless tombstone and cried loudly. As he cried, he
thought, “Is it true that I don't have that kind of learning and can't come up
with that kind of words!?”
For many days, Constant Fair's friends came to
persuade him every day: “What if you guessed those eight words? Peach Flower
Girl will not do what our old boss wants! You are so sick now, and she said you
are not sick. Since you came back, no one has seen her sad for you. She is
still happy, admiring flowers in the backyard, and still has leisure heart to
read books. Some people also saw her laugh stealthily in the garden.”
2.4-3
一天，在桃花村的礼堂里，桃花女正和掌柜的们议事，一个小伙计慌张地跑了进来，大喊：“不好了！新老爷在山上晕倒啦！”
桃花女厉声喝道：“住口！谁是你的新老爷！”
小伙计赶忙改口说：“新姑爷在山上晕倒了！”
One day, in the Peach Flower Village's
auditorium, Peach Flower Girl was deliberating with the shopkeepers when a
little servant ran in in a panic, shouting, “It's no good! The new Boss fainted
on the mountain!”
Peach Flower Girl rebuked sharply: "Shut
up! Who is your new Boss!"
The little servant hurriedly changed his words
and said: “The new son-in-law fainted on the mountain!”
桃花女大发雷霆：“你给我滚出去！让你看着他！是如果他死了，别让野狗把尸体叼跑了，我好有个东西给他修坟，披麻戴孝地为他守灵！”
一个掌柜的焦急地说：“大当家的！咱这屋里就你的医术最好，咱们得立刻一起去山上看看！”
桃花女果然是医术高明，捏这儿捅那儿，几下之后，常公就苏醒过来了。桃花女站起来就说“他没病” ，回村子了。
Peach Flower Girl was furious: “Get out of
here! Let you watch him! It's that if he dies, don't let the wild dogs carry
his corpse away, so that I can have something to build his grave and wear
mourning for him!"
A shopkeeper said anxiously to Peach Flower
Girl: “Big Boss! You're the best healer in this house; we must immediately go
to the mountain to look!”
Peach Flower Girl was indeed a skilled healer,
after a few pinches here and pokes there, Constant Fair woke up. Peach Flower
Girl stood up and said，
“He's not sick” ， then, went
back to the village.
2.4-4
这天，几个掌柜的们又来到了常公的帐篷，说：“兄弟呀！这次我们不是来劝你的，是来向你告别的。你也知道，现在世风日下，人心不古。生意不好做，咱各个药庄的生意都是一日不如一日，我们也得养家糊口。”
常公一听就急了：“你们都走了！大小姐咋办？”
一个掌柜的生气地说：“这我可真不懂！你自己的命都朝不保夕，还惦记着她！”
On this day, several shopkeepers came to
Constant Fair's tent again and said: “O brother! This time we are not here to
advise you, but to bid you farewell. As you know, the world is going downhill,
and people's hearts are not in the right place. It is hard to business
nowadays, the business of all our pharmacies is getting worse day by day, also
we must support our families.”
Constant fair became anxious when he heard
this: “You've all left! What about our lady!?”
A shopkeeper said angrily: “This is something I
really don't understand! Your own life is at stake, and you're still thinking
about her!”
常公愣住了，叹了口气，不由自主地叨咕：“这就是我的命啊！”
那个掌柜的嚷道：“我可知道，你不信神、佛、鬼，什么时候你开始信命了！”
这时老管家火急火燎地跑来了，一边喘一边说：“我还以为赶不上你们了呢！”
掌柜的们对他说：“你不是不走吗！还来找我们干什么！”
Constant Fair froze, sighed, and muttered
involuntarily: “This is my fate!”
The shopkeeper yelled: “I know you don't
believe in God, Buddha, or ghost, when did you start believing in fate!?”
At that moment the old butler came running in a
great hurry, gasping for breath as he said: “I thought I wouldn't be able to
catch up with you!”
A shopkeeper said to him: “I thought you
weren't leaving! Why do you still come to us!”
常公问老管家：“你为什么不走？”
老管家说：“我发过誓！一次老东家哭着跟我说, ‘桃花女从小就怕孤单！我最怕将来她身边连个说话的人都没有’。我就发誓说，
‘老爷你放心，不管发生什么事，我都会陪在大小姐身边，跟她说话’。”
掌柜的们说：“那你还来干什么？”
Constant fair asked the old butler: “Why don't
you leave？”
The old butler said: “I took an oath! Once the
old Big Boss told me in tears, ‘Peach Flower Girl has been afraid of being
alone since she was a child! I'm most afraid that in the future she won't even
have anyone to talk to around her.' So, I swore, ‘Don't worry! Big Boss, no
matter what happens, I'll stay by her side and talk to her.’”
A shopkeeper asked: “Then what are you doing
here?”
老管家说：“我怕小姐偷偷地把老爷的遗嘱改了，我就抄了一份，用假的把真的换下来了。我也没地方保存这遗嘱，我信任你们这些掌柜的，想让你们替我保存。”老管家说着，把信交给了掌柜的们，又说：“我得回去了，小姐身边不能没有人说话。”
常公恍然大悟，说：“我猜到了！几位兄弟！大小姐是个爱面子的人，看在我的面子上，留下来多住几天。”
说着，他写了八个字：前世姻缘，命中注定。
The old butler said: “I was afraid that our
lady had secretly changed the old Big Boss’ will, so I made a copy and replaced
the real one with a fake one. I also have no place to keep this will, I trust
you shop managers and want you to keep it for me.” The old butler said, handing
the letter to the shopkeepers, and added: “I must go back; our lady can't be
left without someone to talk to.”
Constant Fair realized and said: “I guessed it!
Brothers! Our lady is a person who loves face, for my sake, stay for a few more
days.” Saying this, he wrote eight hieroglyphics, “Former Generation’s Marriage
Factors, Predetermining Fate”.
2.4-5
第二天清晨，常公和掌柜的们，还有村民们，都来到了桃花村的大堂上，进行宣布遗嘱仪式。桃花女拆开那八字嘱托的信一看，常公猜对了，就说：“那我去把遗嘱取来。”
人们在大堂上等候着。祝管家着急了，走到常公身边小声说，“假遗嘱，我也怕她改呀！” 掌柜的们都觉得有道理。就由祝管家领路，大伙儿一起去后院看看。
Early the next morning, Constant Fair, and the
shopkeepers, as well as the villagers, all came to the hall of Peach Flower
Village for the ceremony of announcing Publican Liu’s Will. Peach Flower Girl
opened the letter with the eight-hieroglyphics testament and saw that Constant
Fair had guessed correctly, so she said, "Then I will go and fetch the
will."
The people waited in the hall. Butler Zhu,
anxious, went to Constant Fair and whispered, “The false will, I'm afraid
she'll change it too!” Shopkeepers all felt that it made sense. So, Butler Zhu
led the way, and the group went together to the backyard to look.
进书房时，人们闻到了烧纸的气味。桃花女正在那里看遗嘱呢！看见人们都来了，笑着说：“我就是想先看看我爸爸的遗嘱，让大伙儿等着急了！好！咱们就回大堂吧！”
One smells the smell of burning paper as one
enters the study. Peach Flower Girl was there reading the will! Seeing that
people were coming, she smiled and said, "I just wanted to read my
father's will first, so I made the group wait impatiently! Good! Let's just go
back to the hall!"
祝管家拽了拽常公的袖子，小声说：“就在这里宣布遗嘱！” 一个掌柜的听明白了，说：“大当家的！人们都在这儿，咱们就在这里宣读遗嘱吧！”
桃花女笑着说：“着急也不差这一会儿，我觉得还是大堂里显得庄重些。常公！你说呢？”
Butler Zhu tugged at Constant Fair's sleeve and
whispered, "Announce the will right here!" One of the shopkeepers
understood and said, "Big Boss! Everyone is here, let's read the will
here!"
Peach Flower Girl smiled and said, “It's not so
bad to be in a hurry for a while, I think it's better to look dignified in the
hall. Constant Fair! What do you think?”
常公说：“我也觉得大堂里多些庄严，那儿还有很多族里人等着呢！”
回大堂的路上，祝管家拉常公到了一边，问：“进屋时，你没闻到有烧纸的气味？”
常公回答：“闻到了！”
Constant Fair said, "I also think that
there is more solemnity in the hall, there are still many clan members waiting
there!"
On the way back to the hall, Butler Zhu pulled
Constant Fair aside and asked, "When you entered the house, didn't you
smell the odor of burning paper?"
Constant Fair replied, "I did!"
祝管家说：“这不是明摆着的事吗！她造了份假遗嘱，把老东家的遗嘱烧了。等我们回到了大堂，她写的遗嘱的墨迹就干了。”
常公回答：“老东家立的遗嘱，女儿要改。这和我有什么关系？”
Butler Zhu said, "Isn't it obvious! She
created a fake will and burned the old boss’ will. By the time we got back to
the hall, the ink on the will she wrote was dry."
Constant Fair replied, "The old boss made
the will, and his daughter wants to change it. What does that have to do with
me?"
祝管家听了之后，跌倒了，说：“这和我有关系呀！我给老东家当了50年的管家了，连他的遗嘱都保管不好，我死之后，怎么去见老东家！常公！你得帮帮我！”
常公对他说，你这么办，这么办。
When Butler Zhu heard this, he fell and said,
"This has something to do with me! I've been the old boss’ butler for 50
years, and I can't even keep his will safe, so how am I going to see the old
boss after I die! Constant Fair! You must help me!"
Constant Fair said to him, “You do this and
this…”
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