The story takes place during the Song Dynasty, and there is a scholar named Fan Ju, a native of Yi County, Zhongzhou Province. Fan Ju grew up in poverty and lived by herding cattle outside the bell staff, but Fan Ju was very motivated, often taking advantage of his leisure time at night to read until late at night, because he could not afford to buy oil for oil lamps, Fan Ju often went to the nearby City God Temple to read at night, because the Changming lantern in the City God Temple stayed all night. Later, When Zhong Ju learned that Fan Ju was so diligent and studious, he asked him to accompany his son Zhong Kui to study together, and Fan Ju and Zhong Kui encouraged each other and made rapid progress.
After a year, the two participated in the county examination organized by the state government and both won xiucai. After another year, the two took part in the township examination, and Zhong Kui won the lift, and became a county clerk in a small county under the Zhongzhou capital, which is also a small meritorious name. However, this time Fan Ju was named Sun Shan and was not on the list. Fan Ju was disappointed and decadent, ashamed of the cultivation grace of Zhong Yuanwai, and this time Zhong Kui advised: "If there is no elder brother to assist, the younger brother cannot get lucky, the elder brother's talent is above me, only blame the chief examiner for having no eyes and no pearls, and not knowing the talents." The elder brother is worthy of heavy responsibilities, perhaps it is just that the time has not yet arrived. ”
Zhong Kui advised Fan Ju to continue his studies, and he bore all the living expenses. Fan Ju had no other length than reading, so he had to continue to study hard. Since then, Fan Ju has taken the exam three times in a row, but he has failed repeatedly. Zhong Kui sent a letter of encouragement: "Sima Yi sharpened a sword for ten years, and after ten years of practicing lying down and tasting courage for ten years, he hoped that his brother would guard against arrogance and impatience and achieve success as soon as possible." Fan Ju sighed at the zhong family's kindness, and if he gave up lightly, he would have no face to return. Immediately with books and pens and ink paper yan secluded in the mountain forest cave, Fan Ju watched the sunrise and sunset every day, accompanied by grass birds and beasts, his mentality was much calmer, he put down his fame and fortune, and concentrated on studying articles.
At sunrise, Fan Ju stood on the boulder, recited aloud, and after eating some mountain fruits and wild vegetables, Fan Ju learned to write and paint, and the insects, birds, birds and animals were vividly painted. There is a pool of stream in front of the stone cave where Fan Ju lives, because Fan Ju often washes the brick platform in it, and after many years, the stream has become an ink pool. Fan Ju thought that the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi in history also had a washing pond, and later became famous in the world, but he was lonely and nameless in this deep mountain and old forest, and he did not know when he would be able to reach the day when he would emerge. But he immediately comforted himself and said: "Jiang Ziya came out of the mountain at the age of seventy, and he was sealed at the age of eighty, and perhaps those who have great creations are all great instruments and late fruits. ”
In this way, Fan Ju studied hard in the mountains for three years, regardless of cold and heat. One night in the autumn of the third year, Fan Ju was reading hard under the lamp, when there was a crisp knock outside the door, Fan Ju opened the door to see that a woman dressed in purple and purple robes was standing in the doorway in the moonlight, and Fan Ju smelled a burst of ink incense. Fan Ju asked, "Why is the girl here?" The woman said in a soft voice: "Today I came to bid farewell to Mr. Li, and no one asked in the cold window for ten years, and I became famous in one fell swoop." Success is only in this dynasty. Fan Ju wanted to ask again, and the purple-clad woman turned into purple smoke and disappeared.
Fan Ju pondered for half a moment, not knowing who the woman was, and was about to raise his pen to write, but found that his Yantai did not know where it had gone. That Yantai was his own more than ten years ago in the City God Temple night reading, an old gentleman gave him, that Yantai purple with blue, the bottom of the Yantai and the carving of the Fish Leaping Dragon Gate, very exquisite, and later the same window saw that it was a party Duan Yan, which belonged to the best of the Yantai, wanted to buy at a high price, Fan Ju already had feelings for that Yantai, and has been using it around. Thinking of the woman in the purple robe, and carrying ink incense on her body, maybe it was that The Yantai had the spiritual nature to become a fairy.
Fan Ju did not sleep all night and did not sort out his thoughts, since he could not write without Yantai, Fan Ju simply packed up his luggage and went down the mountain to participate in the township examination that year. This time, Fan Ju wrote a thousand words of divine help, and the chief examiner even praised it after reading it, and Fan Ju was hit by this. The following year, he participated in the examination of Gongsheng, and finally participated in the temple examination and became a hand-picked champion, and was appointed as Zhongshu Ling, Zheng Yipin. For a time, Fan Ju's scenery was unique, and he really responded to the words of the woman in purple: "Ten years of cold window no one asked, and became famous in one fell swoop." After Fan Ju became rich, he did not forget the kindness of the Zhong family, and recommended Zhong Kui to be a Zhongshu waiter, and jumped from a small county to a member of the Second Grade.
The capital taifu admired Fan Ju's talent and learning, so he gave his daughter Xu to him. At the night of the candle in the cave, Fan Ju unveiled the red cover, and his heart was very happy, only to see that the woman was no different from the woman he saw in the mountains, Fan Ju only said that she was the reincarnation of Yan Xian, and since then the love of husband and wife has been passed down as a good story.
postscript:
The fish doesn't think about why it can't fly, and the bird doesn't think about why it can't swim in the water. Winter does not think why it is behind the autumn, everything has its own rules of operation, just like in the spring grass and trees will sprout, autumn leaves will fall, winter river water will freeze, the sky will snow, these are the heavenly ways.
Whether a person is developed or not depends on his own efforts and the other depends on the fortune of the times. Just like the popular saying now: when the wind comes, the pigs will fly. But what we need to do is to spread our wings and continue to work hard to prepare for the wind when the wind has not yet come, so that we can not be pulled down when the wind comes.
When life is not satisfactory, we do our best, and the rest is left to fate.