A3-The Story of Meng Jiangnü

Long, long ago, in the vast land of ancient China, there lived a young woman named Meng Jiangnü. She was born into a humble farming family, known for her gentle and kind nature, her beauty, and her diligence. Her parents loved her dearly and named her "Jiangnü," hoping she would grow up to be as resilient and upright as ginger. From a young age, Meng Jiangnü was respectful to her elders and caring toward her neighbors, earning praise from everyone in the village.
When Meng Jiangnü was eighteen, on a bright and sunny morning, she was washing clothes by the river when she suddenly heard a faint rustling in the bushes. Turning around, she saw a young man hiding among the bushes, looking nervous and wearing tattered clothes, clearly worn out by hardship. Meng Jiangnü, feeling pity for him, approached and asked, "Who are you? Why are you hiding here?"
The young man, seeing no way to escape, confessed, "My name is Fan Xiliang. I come from a faraway place. The imperial court has forcibly conscripted me to build the Great Wall, but I couldn’t bear to leave my parents behind, so I fled. I’ve been running from the soldiers ever since, and now I’m exhausted with nowhere to go."
Moved by his sincerity, Meng Jiangnü took him home and told her parents about Fan Xiliang’s plight. Her parents, seeing that Fan Xiliang was honest, hardworking, and polite, agreed to shelter him. As days passed, Meng Jiangnü and Fan Xiliang developed deep feelings for each other. They supported one another, and their bond grew stronger until they decided to marry.
Their days together were sweet but short-lived, for their happiness was soon shattered. Not long after their wedding, the conscription officers arrived in their village, forcibly taking Fan Xiliang away to the north to build the Great Wall. Meng Jiangnü, powerless to stop them, could only watch in despair as her husband was taken away, her heart filled with sadness and worry.
After Fan Xiliang left, Meng Jiangnü thought of him day and night. She couldn’t sleep peacefully or eat properly, constantly worrying about whether her husband was safe, whether he had enough to eat, or whether he was freezing in the harsh conditions. She often wept silently at night, praying to the heavens to protect Fan Xiliang and bring him home safely.
As time passed, winter came and went, and spring arrived again, but still, there was no word from her husband. Finally, Meng Jiangnü made up her mind to go to the Great Wall herself to find him. Ignoring her parents’ pleas to stay, she packed the warm clothes she had sewn for him and set out on the long journey.
Meng Jiangnü traveled through mountains and rivers, enduring countless hardships, until she finally reached the foot of the Great Wall. She asked every worker she met about her husband’s whereabouts, and eventually, she was given heartbreaking news: Fan Xiliang had died from exhaustion while working on the Great Wall and had been hastily buried within the wall itself.
Hearing this, Meng Jiangnü was struck as if by lightning. She collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed with grief. She could not accept this cruel reality, and her heart was filled with endless sorrow. Kneeling before the Great Wall, she wept uncontrollably, her cries echoing through the mountains, shaking the earth, and even causing the very stones of the wall to tremble.
It is said that Meng Jiangnü’s sorrowful cries caused the Great Wall to collapse, revealing her husband’s remains. She held his cold bones in her arms, her tears flowing like rain, nearly fainting from the overwhelming grief. She wrapped his remains in the warm clothes she had brought, and for a long time, she sat there in the wind, tears streaming down her face.
The story of Meng Jiangnü spread far and wide, and people everywhere were moved by her deep love and determination. Her tragic tale became one of the classic love legends in Chinese folklore. The story not only expressed the virtues of loyalty and devotion but also revealed the suffering caused by the oppressive feudal system.
As the story was passed down through generations, Meng Jiangnü became a symbol of loyalty, resilience, and courage. Whenever people speak of her, they remember her broken heart and the tears that moved heaven and earth. This story teaches us that the power of love is boundless; even in the face of unbearable hardships, true love can transcend time and space, moving even the heavens.
Meng Jiangnü’s name has been immortalized in the annals of Chinese history, and her legend has inspired countless literary works and operas, continuing to encourage people through the ages. Her story is widely told across China, and during the Qingming Festival, people gather at the Great Wall to pay their respects to her, honoring the great woman who lived and wept for love.
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