The Bridegroom

　　Mei Ouchang, a Provincial Graduate from Jiangnan, once told a story about his fellow townsman Mr. Sun, who served as magistrate of Dezhou and heard a most unusual case.

　　It happened that in a certain village, a family was marrying off their son. When the bride entered the house, relatives and neighbors all came to offer congratulations. The drinking went on past the first watch (about 8–10 p.m.), when the bridegroom stepped out. He saw his bride, resplendent in her wedding finery, turn and hurry to the back of the house. Suspicious, he followed her. Behind the house ran a long stream, crossed by a small bridge. He saw the bride go straight over the bridge and continue on. More puzzled than ever, he called out to her, but she gave no answer. Instead, she beckoned to him from afar with her hand. The bridegroom hurried after her. Though he was only a foot or so behind, he could never quite catch up.

　　After walking several li, they entered a village. The bride stopped and said to him, "Your house is so cold and quiet—I am not used to it. Please come with me and stay a few days at my home, and then we shall go back to pay our respects together." With that, she took out her hairpin and tapped on the door, which creaked open. A young maidservant came to answer. The bride went in first. With no choice, the bridegroom followed her. Once inside, he found his father‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law both seated in the hall. They said to him, "Our daughter has been spoiled from childhood and has never left our side for a moment. Leaving her old home always makes her sad. Now that she has come here with you, it sets our minds at rest. Stay a few days, and we shall send you both back." They then prepared a room for him, with bed and bedding fully provided. And so the bridegroom took up residence there.

　　Meanwhile, the guests at his home, seeing that the bridegroom had not returned after a long while, all went to look for him. Only the bride was in the bridal chamber—no one knew where the groom had gone. From then on, they searched far and wide, but found no news. The old father and mother wept in grief, believing their son must be dead.

　　After nearly half a year, the bride's family, pitying their daughter for being left without a husband, asked the groom's father for permission to marry her off again. The groom's father grew even more sorrowful and said, "We have no bones or clothing to prove it—how do we know my son is truly dead? Even if he perished suddenly, it would not be too late to remarry after a full year. Why are you in such a hurry?" The bride's father, deeply resentful, brought the matter to court. Magistrate Sun found the case strange and puzzling, with no way to resolve it, so he ruled that they should wait three years, recorded the case, and sent them away.

　　Now the bridegroom, living in the bride's home, was treated with great warmth by her family. Whenever he discussed returning home with her, she agreed, but always put it off and did not act. After more than half a year, his heart grew restless and full of anxiety. He wanted to go back alone, but the bride insisted on keeping him there.

　　One day, the whole household suddenly fell into panic, as if facing some urgent danger. The father‑in‑law said hastily to the groom, "We had planned to send you both back in two or three days, but before we could prepare your gifts and luggage, a misfortune has suddenly befallen us. We have no choice but to see you home first." So he escorted the groom out the gate. No sooner had he walked out than the father turned around and hurried back inside, his words and movements all rushed and perfunctory. The groom was about to find his way home when he looked back—the courtyard and buildings had vanished, and all he saw was a tall grave mound.

　　Greatly alarmed, he found the road and hurried home. Once there, he told the whole story from beginning to end and went with his family to report it to the authorities. Magistrate Sun summoned the bride's father, explained the matter, and sent the bride back to her husband. Only then were the couple finally united in marriage.


原文如下:

江南梅孝廉耦长，言其乡孙公，为德州宰，鞫一奇案。初，村人有为子娶妇者，新人入门，戚里毕贺。饮至更馀，新郎出，见新妇炫装，趋转舍后。疑而尾之。宅后有长溪，小桥通之。见新妇渡桥径去，益疑，呼之不应，遥以手招婿。婿急趁之，相去盈尺，而卒不可及。行数里，入村落。妇止，谓婿曰：“君家寂寞，我不惯住。请与郎暂居妾家数日，便同归省。”言已，抽簪扣扉轧然，有女僮出应门。妇先入。不得已，从之。既入，则岳父母俱在堂上。谓婿曰：“我女少娇惯，未尝一刻离膝下，一旦去故里，心辄戚戚。今同郎来，甚慰系念。居数日，当送两人归。”乃为除室，床褥备具，遂居之。

家中客见新郎久不至，共索之。室中惟新妇在，不知婿之所往。由此遐迩访问，并无耗息。翁媪零涕，谓其必死。将半载，妇家悼女无偶，遂请于村人父，欲别醮女。村人父益悲，曰：“骸骨衣裳，无可验证，何知吾儿遂为异物？纵其奄丧，周岁而嫁，当亦未晚，胡为如是急也！”妇父益衔之，讼于庭。孙公怪疑，无所措力，断令待以三年，存案遣去。

村人子居女家，家人亦大相忻待。每与妇议归，妇亦诺之，而因循不即行。积半年馀，中心徘徊，万虑不安。欲独归，而妇固留之。一日，合家遑遽，似有急难。仓卒谓婿曰：“本拟三二日遣夫妇偕归，不意仪装未备，忽遘闵凶。不得已，即先送郎还。”于是送出门，旋踵急返，周旋言动，颇甚草草。方欲觅途行，回视院宇无存，但见高冢。大惊，寻路急归。至家，历言端末，因与投官陈诉。孙公拘妇父谕之，送女于归，始合卺焉。

【翻译】

江南举人梅耦长，曾讲过他的同乡孙先生在德州做知府时，审理过的一件奇案。起先，一个村子里有户人家为儿子娶媳妇，新媳妇接入家门后，村子里的亲戚邻里都前来祝贺。当喝酒喝到一更过后，新郎从房里走了出来，看见新媳妇穿着鲜艳光彩的衣服，快步地转到房子后面去了。他对新媳妇起了疑心，就紧跟在她身后，追了过去。房子后面有条长长的小溪，一座小桥在溪上架通两岸。新郎眼看着新媳妇从桥上直接走了过去，心中更加怀疑，他急忙喊叫新媳妇，可她不但不回答，反而在远处打手势招呼他过去。新郎急忙赶过去，两个人前后相距只有一尺多远，但到底追赶不上她。就这样走了几里路，他们走进了一座村庄。新媳妇这才停住了脚步，对新郎说：“你们家冷冷清清的，我住不惯。请你和我一起暂时在我家住上几天，然后我们再一起回你家看望父母。”说完，她取下头上的簪子，“嗒嗒”地扣打院门，有个小女童应声出来开门。新媳妇自己先走进门去。新郎一见如此，只好也跟着她走了进去。一进房门，只见岳父、岳母都坐在堂上。他们对新郎说道：“我们的女儿从小娇惯，一时一刻也没离开过我们的身边，一旦离开家，心里就会悲伤难过。如今她同你一齐回来了，宽慰了我们的惦念之心。住上几天，我们一定送你们两人回你家去。”说完，就为他们清扫房间，准备好了床铺和被褥。这样，新郎便在这里住了下来。

新郎家中的亲朋宾客见新郎走出门去好长时间也没回来，便一同去寻找他。新房里面只有新媳妇一个人在，也不知道新郎去了哪里。从此以后，新郎家中的人远近寻访，都毫无消息。公婆伤心地不断流泪，以为儿子一定是不在人世了。这样过了将近半年的时间，媳妇家悲伤于女儿没有配偶，就向新郎的父亲请求，想把女儿改嫁出去。新郎的父亲心中更加悲痛，说道：“我儿子的尸骨衣裳都没有见到，无法验证，怎么知道我儿子就一定是死了呢？即使他真的是死了，周年以后再让新媳妇改嫁，应该说也不算晚，你们为什么这样着急呀！”女家的父亲听了这样的答复，心里更加怨恨，于是就把此事告到了官府。孙先生听了女家的控告，感到这个案子的情节十分离奇，一时却无从下手解决，就判定让女家等待三年，吩咐官府立案后，孙先生打发他们两家回去了。

新郎住在新媳妇家里，受到了她家人的热情款待。新郎每次和新媳妇商量回家的时候，她也都答应了，却总是拖延着不肯立即启程。这样一拖再拖，就住了半年多时间，新郎心里犹豫徘徊，怎么想都安不下心来。他准备自己一个人回家去，但新媳妇坚决要把他留下来。突然有一天，全家上上下下都慌慌乱乱的，好像有什么紧急的危难要降临似的。岳父急急忙忙地对新郎说道：“我们本想再过三两天后送你们夫妇一起回家去，没有料到还没有为你们准备好礼品行装，忽然间家门就遭到了凶祸之事。不得已，即刻就先送你回去吧。”于是，岳父把他送出大门。刚刚送到门口，岳父就转过身急忙回去了，临别时的应酬举动都是匆匆忙忙的。新郎正想寻找回家的路，回头再一看，岳父家的宅院不见了，只看到有座高高的大坟。新郎大吃一惊，找到路便急忙回家。新郎到家后，详细地说明了事情的前后经过，并与家人到官府禀报了事情的原委。孙先生把女家的父亲召来，告诉了他新郎出走的原因，又劝说了一番。女家又把女儿送回到了新郎家，直到此时，这对夫妇才得以成婚。