▸ 明朝míng cháo的de时候shí hou，城里chéng lǐ住zhù着zhe一个yī ge卖肉mài ròu的de人rén，叫jiào刘Liú贵guì。

In the Ming dynasty, there lived in the city a meat seller named Liu Gui.

▸ 他的tā de生意shēng yì越来越yuè lái yuè差chà，家里jiā lǐ快kuài没有méi yǒu钱qián了le。

His business was getting worse and worse, and the family was almost out of money.

▸ 他的tā de妻子qī zi二èr姐jiě很hěn年轻nián qīng，每天měi tiān在家zài jiā等děng他tā回来huí lai。

His wife Erjie was very young, and every day she waited at home for him to come back.

▸ 一天yī tiān，刘Liú贵guì去qù亲戚qīn qi家jiā借钱jiè qián，想xiǎng重新chóng xīn开kāi他的tā de肉ròu店diàn。

One day, Liu Gui went to a relative's house to borrow money, hoping to reopen his meat shop.

▸ 亲戚qīn qi借给jiè gěi他tā十五shí wǔ串chuàn铜钱tóng qián，说shuō：“好好hǎo hǎo做生意zuò shēng yì，别bié喝酒hē jiǔ。”

The relative lent him fifteen strings of copper coins and said, “Run your business well, and stay away from wine.”

▸ 可是kě shì回家huí jiā的de路上lù shang，刘Liú贵guì还是hái shi和hé朋友péng you喝hē了le几jǐ杯bēi酒jiǔ。

But on the way home, Liu Gui still drank a few cups of wine with a friend.

▸ 晚上wǎn shang回到huí dào家jiā，他tā有点yǒu diǎn醉zuì，想xiǎng跟gēn二èr姐jiě开kāi个gè玩笑wán xiào。

When he got home that night, a little drunk, he decided to play a joke on Erjie.

▸ 二èr姐jiě问wèn：“这么zhè me多duō钱qián，是shì从cóng哪里nǎ lǐ来lái的de？”

Erjie asked, “Where did all this money come from?”

▸ 刘Liú贵guì笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“这些zhè xiē钱qián，是shì我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ卖mài了le换huàn来lái的de。”

Liu Gui said with a laugh, “This money? I got it by selling you.”

▸ “明天míng tiān那nà家人jiā rén就jiù来lái接jiē你nǐ。”他tā说完shuō wán就jiù睡着了shuì zháo le。

“Tomorrow that family will come to take you away.” And with that, he fell asleep.

▸ 二èr姐jiě以为yǐ wéi是shì真的zhēn de，坐在zuò zài床边chuáng biān哭kū了le很久hěn jiǔ。

Erjie believed it was true and sat by the bed crying for a long time.

▸ 她tā想xiǎng：“他tā真的zhēn de把bǎ我wǒ卖mài了le，我要wǒ yào回huí父母fù mǔ家去jiā qù。”

She thought, “He really sold me. I must go back to my parents' house.”

▸ 半夜bàn yè，她tā轻轻地qīng qīng de打开dǎ kāi门mén，走进zǒu jìn黑hēi黑hēi的de夜里yè li。

In the middle of the night, she quietly opened the door and walked out into the darkness.

▸ 她tā走zǒu得de太tài急jí，忘了wàng le关门guān mén。

She left in such a hurry that she forgot to close the door.

▸ 那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，一个yī ge叫jiào阿ā鼠shǔ的de小xiǎo个子gè zi男人nán rén正好zhèng hǎo走过zǒu guò。

That same night, a small man called Ah Shu happened to pass by.

▸ 他tā赌钱dǔ qián输shū光guāng了le，看见kàn jiàn门mén开kāi着zhe，就jiù悄悄qiāo qiāo走了zǒu le进去jìn qù。

He had gambled away everything, and when he saw the open door, he slipped quietly inside.

▸ 他tā在zài桌子zhuō zi上shàng看见kàn jiàn十五shí wǔ串chuàn铜钱tóng qián，高兴gāo xìng极了jí le。

On the table he saw the fifteen strings of copper coins, and his heart leapt.

▸ 就jiù在zài这个zhè ge时候shí hou，床上chuáng shàng的de刘Liú贵guì醒xǐng了le。

At that very moment, Liu Gui woke up in his bed.

▸ 第二天dì èr tiān早上zǎo shang，邻居lín jū发现fā xiàn刘Liú贵guì死了sǐ le，钱qián也yě不见了bù jiàn le。

The next morning, the neighbors found Liu Gui dead, and the money was gone.

▸ 大家dà jiā都dōu说shuō：“一定yī dìng是shì他的tā de妻子qī zi拿ná了le钱qián，半夜bàn yè跑pǎo了le！”

Everyone said, “It must be his wife! She took the money and ran off in the night!”

▸ 这时zhè shí，二èr姐jiě正zhèng走在zǒu zài回huí父母fù mǔ家jiā的de路上lù shang。

At that moment, Erjie was walking along the road back to her parents' home.

▸ 路上lù shang她tā遇到yù dào一个yī ge卖mài丝绸sī chóu的de年轻人nián qīng rén，叫jiào崔cuī明míng。

On the road she met a young silk trader named Cui Ming.

▸ 崔cuī明míng人rén很好hěn hǎo，说shuō：“我们wǒ men同路tóng lù，一起yī qǐ走zǒu吧ba。”

Cui Ming was kind and said, “We're going the same way — let's walk together.”

▸ 谁shéi也yě没想到méi xiǎng dào，崔cuī明míng身上shēn shang正好zhèng hǎo有yǒu十五shí wǔ串chuàn铜钱tóng qián。

No one could have guessed that Cui Ming was carrying exactly fifteen strings of copper coins.

▸ 那是nà shi他tā卖mài丝绸sī chóu换huàn来lái的de钱qián，一yī串chuàn也yě不bù多duō，一yī串chuàn也yě不少bù shǎo。

It was the money from selling his silk — not one string more, not one string less.

▸ 中午zhōng wǔ，几个jǐ ge士兵shì bīng追zhuī了le上来shàng lái，把bǎ他们tā men两liǎng个人gè rén抓住了zhuā zhù le。

At noon, soldiers caught up with them and arrested them both.

▸ 大家dà jiā都dōu觉得jué de自己zì jǐ知道zhī dào答案dá àn，只有zhǐ yǒu真相zhēn xiàng没有méi yǒu人rén知道zhī dào。

Everyone felt sure they knew the answer — only the truth remained unknown.

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