Time flies like a white horse, sixteen years have passed in a blink of an eye, Pu Songling has reached the age of seventy-two, Liu is also sixty-nine years old, sick in bed, and Chen Shuqing has grown into a slim girl, although her actual age is not available, but from the year Pu Songling adopted her as one year old, it has also come to the seventeen-year-old flower season.

One day, on the shore of Rhododendron Lake, less than three miles away from Pujiazhuang, Chen Shuqing was talking to Wang Hongqingqing, a young man from a neighboring village. Wang Hongqing's face is pockmarked and ugly, but Chen Shuqing doesn't care, the two have grown up playing like childhood sweethearts since childhood, Chen Shuqing, who is not familiar with the world, has already been in love with Wang Hongqing, hoping that Pu Songling will marry him.

Wang Hongqing handed Chen Shuqing a string of sugar gourds: "Come, the sugar gourd you like." Is it tasty? ”

Sugar gourd is Chen Shuqing's favorite, but Pujiazhuang can't buy it, Chen Shuqing can't afford to go to the bazaar to buy, Wang Hongqing's father Wang Yantong has run a few businesses in the city, two daughters have been sent, and only this one son, he is often used to Wang Hongqing, and wants to pass on the business to him, so Wang Hongqing not only has a rich family, but also often goes in and out of the market, and does not forget to bring back the sugar gourd every day, so as to be courteous.

Chen Shuqing tasted it and replied sweetly: "It's so delicious, thank you for sending me sugar gourds every day, I can't get tired of eating it." ”

Wang Hongqing showed a satisfied smile, took off a bunch of tender yellow Ma Lanju, put it on Chen Shuqing's head, and said, "It's so beautiful." ”

Chen Shuqing glanced at the reflection on the surface of the lake, and asked shyly: "Do you mean that the flowers are good-looking, or am I good-looking?" ”

Wang Hongqing said gently: "The flowers are beautiful, you are even better...... Shuqing, I really can't believe that there is a beautiful and virtuous woman like you in the world, you are seventeen years old and can get married...... Is it okay to marry me? ”

Chen Shuqing happily responded: "Okay, when I tell my husband, as long as he agrees, you will come to our house to propose, okay?" ”

Wang Hongqing was immediately overjoyed: "No problem, no problem, my Wang family will definitely prepare the dowry in a beautiful manner, so that the Liuquan monks can also enjoy the wealth of the world!" Great, Shuqing, I, Wang Hongqing, never dreamed that such a beautiful woman would be willing to commit herself to an ugly monster like me. ”

As he was talking, Pu Songling had already come to the neighborhood and shouted, "Shuqing, go home for dinner!" ”

"Oh, Mr. is calling me, I'll go back first, wait for my good news." Chen Shuqing gently hugged Wang Hongqing, turned around and went back with Pu Songling, and couldn't help but ask on the way: "Sir, what are 'good-looking' and 'ugly'?" Why do people often say that someone is good-looking and someone is ugly, how can I not tell the difference? ”

Pu Songling said with a smile: "Hehe, that's the standard of the world, you are a monster, if you live for another one or two hundred years, you may be able to tell the difference." ”

"Well, although I can't see it, I also know that what 'good-looking' and 'beautiful' are praised, and 'ugly' is scolding, anyway, as long as others say I'm good-looking, I'll die of happiness. ”

Pu Songling said earnestly: "It's a good thing that you can't tell the difference, people are too easy to judge people by their appearance, but they don't know that there are only ugly hearts in this world, but there are no ugly skins." ”

Chen Shuqing obviously didn't understand the deep meaning, secretly glanced at Pu Songling, pursed her lips and laughed evilly. Pu Songling was puzzled: "What are you laughing at?" ”

"I don't know, anyway, I just think you look good, sir." Chen Shuqing said naughtily.

Pu Songling smiled awkwardly: "Ouch, my little ancestor, Mr., I'm in my seventies, I'm still good-looking, haha......"

The two talked and laughed all the way back to Liaozhai, only to see Liu lying on the bed coughing loudly, Chen Shuqing stepped forward and asked with concern: "Grandma, are you better?" I'll feed you. ”

Liu touched Chen Shuqing's head: "Good, grandma can't eat it, you and Mr. eat first." ”

The two ate silently, and Chen Shuqing said cautiously: "Sir, I want to tell you something......

"What's the matter, you say, as long as I can do it, I will be satisfied."

"You...... You promise me to Ah Qing, okay? ”

When Pu Songling heard this, his face became embarrassed, put down the dishes and chopsticks, and said, "This, I can't agree yet." ”

Chen Shuqing didn't expect Pu Songling to refuse, and asked curiously: "Why not?" I'm seventeen years old, don't all those girls get married at the age of sixteen? ”

Pu Songling sighed and said: "Alas, your aunt is sick in bed and needs someone to take care of her, I am already old, and my son is not around, you marry again, what should my aunt do?" ”

Chen Shuqing said understandingly: "That's right, then when Grandma recovers from her illness, I will remarry." After speaking, he put his hands together and prayed, "Grandma, you must get better as soon as possible." ”

Another year has passed, Liu's illness has not improved, but has become more serious, although Pu Songling is a purification messenger with boundless mana, he can do many things that ordinary people can't do, but in the face of birth, old age, sickness and death, he is also helpless like ordinary people, that day, he blamed himself and said to Liu: "Follow me, you have suffered, if I am a little richer, you don't have to suffer from this disease." ”

Liu still smiled and comforted: "Look at what you said, I am afraid that my disease will not be cured even if the divine doctor comes, and there is not much money left in the family, so don't waste it to buy medicine for my old thing, it is better to keep it for Shuqing as a dowry in the future." ”

When Chen Shuqing heard this, tears couldn't stop flowing, and she said, "Grandma, you will definitely get better!" When you get better, you have to send me to a sedan chair! ”

Another day, when Chen Shuqing was dating Wang Hongqing, she plucked up her courage and asked him the question of money for the first time: "Aqing, I want to borrow fifty yuan from you, okay?" ”

Wang Hongqing asked, "What are you going to do with it?" ”

Chen Shuqing said sadly: "Grandma is seriously ill, but my family doesn't even have the money to buy medicine, I want to give Grandma some medicine so that she can get better quickly, as long as she is well, my husband will agree to let us get married." ”

When Wang Hongqing heard this, he took out a string of copper plates with relief, handed them to Chen Shuqing, and said: "You don't have to pay it back, you also know that my family runs a pawnshop in Jinan, and the life is not bad. ”

Chen Shuqing happily hugged Wang Hongqing in her arms: "Aqing, thank you!" Thank you! ”

Chen Shuqing hurried back to Liaozhai non-stop, and shouted loudly as soon as she entered the door: "Grandma-sir-I have money, go get the medicine!" ”

But this shouting did not bring a positive response, and the silence at home was like death, and Chen Shuqing suddenly had an ominous premonition.

When I rushed to the bedroom, I saw Pu Songling and the two sons who rushed back in time were lying beside Liu and weeping silently, and Liu on the bed was already pale and stopped breathing.

In the fifty-third year of Kangxi, Liu, who was the first generation of the Pu family, died of illness at the age of 71.

A string of copper plates fell from Chen Shuqing's hand and fell to the floor with a "thud".