Today is Chinese Valentine's Day! 七夕快乐
I recently leveled up my Chinese learning game and besides learning to sing well known Chinese Songs I am educating myself about Chinese Folk tales using it to stock up my Chinese vocabulary.
For the English version of this story down below I used my Chinese Folk tale Children's book as a basis and added my own storytelling. Enjoy!
Once upon a time there was a country boy named Niu Lang and this is his story:
Niu Lang's parents passed on early in his life making him end up staying with his older brother and his sister-in-law.
As every cliché acquired extended family member she turns out to be a total dick.
One day she gives our dear Niu Lang who rather preferred watching the birds passing by the oldest cow left in the stable and tells him to get a new home where he won't get on the nerves of his older brother and his brother-hating wife leaving him on the doorstep with the door closed right in front of him.
Our cowboy left standing still perplexed and with sleepy eyes with his new companion in the wide fields which suddenly turned quiet yet playing their well known song of wanderlust and hard work.
The days pass and Niu lang and his old cow became unseperatable just like long known intimate partners without the intimacy which under nowaday standards can be described as best friends.
One day, after living happily ever after, while Niu Lang was taking a rest against a tree, the old cow suddenly opened its mouth and instead of the ordinary cow sound which she normally uses to either indicate a lack of proper feeding or the pleasure of a splendid scrub, out of her abyss sounds Niu Lang could recognize as human words emerges:
"Niu Lang! After celebrating so many happy hours together I think it's time for you to get a proper girlfriend. Spoiler alert my dear friend.", the ancient cow warned it's companion in a glamorous way:
"Tomorrow at the woods near the riverside when the sun's position in relation to earth is on its climax you will encounter a beautiful girl which you'll end up marrying."
Niu Lang, filled with enthusiasm and hormones appearing because of the soon to come sudden end of his eternal loneliness almost couldn't sleep in that night just like a little kid 4 days before the occurrence of it's birthday.
A new dawn arises
Next early morning niu lang prepares himself a bowl of rice for take away and goes to the nearby river having last day's old cows saying still bouncing back and fourth in his head.
Suddenly, after taking a little foot bath in the caressing waves of the streaming water, far away behind the 7 column's 3rd tree from the left a laughter rising in sound emerges.
Niu Lang triggered by this outburst of human amusement follows the sound and stumbles upon a cattle of girls from who's the most beautiful one is called Zhi Nü.
A many faced story
In the children's version which I am reading both of them fall in love and become a couple shortly after there eyes have crossed. In one adult version of this book Niu Lang, the farmers boy, behaves like a real jerk and steals the clothes of Zhi Nü while she is taking a bath forcing her to stay on earth and become his child bearing wife while her friends ascend back up to the sky.
Oh yeah, turns out Zhi Nü is a fairy!
In addition to zhi nü being a fairy she is also the granddaughter of the heavenly godmother.
Lucky catch, Niu Lang!
After a time of getting to know each other our lovely couple decides to marry. Niu Lang works day in and day out on the fields growing rice while Zhi Nü stays at home weaving clothes and caring for her belly which grows bigger and bigger with every day passed.
One sudden day the old cow after having resided in deep silence spoke again to her old friend Niu Lang: "My strength is fading away my most beloved Niu Lang. I can feel the cold sweet touch of death crawling up to me. As a last present and I want you to use my skin to make a suitable cloth for you once my time on earth here has finished. Wear it in a time of emergency! Fare well my...."
With those last words the old cow and Niu Lang's everlasting companion closed it's eyes and passed on towards realms not yet discovered by mankind.
Niu Lang sad about his best friend's loss follows his advice and last wish and prepares a cloth out og the old cows skin he properly stores in his wardrobe.
The accelerated growth of Zhi Nü's belly tissue is in no correlation to Niu Lang's delicious grown rice but rather because of the ongrowing daughter and son they get gifted with soon after.
Niu Lang and Zhi Nü already being a happy married couple before the kids arrive, having this epitome of the love of 2 of mankind gifted towards them turns this happy couple into a family life filled with eternal bliss.
Up until one crazy autumn day!
Harvest moon is rising and crops need to be harvested. Niu lang keeps getting up quite early to continue his work on the rice field. Suddenly he noticed a fresh late summer breeze playing around at the tip of his nose.
The breeze becomes stronger and stronger with each second passed and turns into a little storm soon after. The majestically grown green rice plants get pressed to the ground while Niu Lang experiences trouble keeping his hat on top of his hat.
In the blink of an eye thunder strikes followed by a growling sound and illuminates the already sky clear blue sky even more. The sky opens and heavenly troops ascend down to earth not to capture some of niu Lang's rice which up until became a well known product of quality all over China but rather to take his wife zhi nü with them.
Zhi no who was just feeding the kids got overwhelmed unable to move by the heavenly power. Ascending up to the sky only mumbles can be heard.
The hole in the sky closes and life returns to its normal form. Almost! The loving couple's children are sitting there mouths wide spread.
Zhi Nü is missing!
"This is a case of high emergency!"*, Niu Lang's mind still trying to wrap itself around the happening comes to the conclusion.
"Use my skin..."
He runs to his bedroom who's empty presence gives him aches at the level of his heart, rushes to his wardrobe and grabs the old cow's skin covering himself inside of it.
After shouldering the double sided water bucket placing his daughter in one and his son in the other side Niu Lang uses the magical powers of his good old friend to follow the traces his wife's kidnappers have left ascending high up to sky.
Reaching the unknown realms of fairies he jumps from cloud to cloud searching for his beloved soulmate. The children distracted from their loss by the new adventure are enjoying the up and down filling the realms with their sweet high pitched laughter.
In the meantime Zhi Nü leaning against a durian tree tremendous in size remembers the time Niu Lang and she first met at the riverside behind the 7 column's 3rd tree from the left side.
Remembering how Niu Lang stole her clothes making her to become his wife Niu Lang bursts out into tears filling the magical waterway beneath her.
"Grandmother why do you ?!"
Children's laughter
The sniffing stops. What was that? The in sound of children's joy. Zhi nü motivated by the familiar voices rushes towards the source of origin.
"Niu Lang!"
"Zhi Nü?! Finally!"
Just one more cloud to conquer.
"Not in my realm!!",
The queen godmother appearing on a upper level cloud shouts. Jumping down while reaching behind her head opening her hair and throwing the loosened hair pin right through the space in between Niu Lang and Zhi Nü.
"Ha, you missed! You will never hinder our love!", Niu Lang shouts towards her with the feeling of victory behind his back.
Shaking.
The space pierced through by the queen godmother's hairpin gets filled with a stream of little sparkling suns.
Once so near, the rushing river of stars which in future times will be known as the Milkyway now sets Zhi Nü apart from her beloved Niu Lang and her children.
Zhi Nü falls into deep sobering her cries of deep heartbrokenness filling the infinite heavenly realms.
The Queen's godmother although strict in could feel but couldn't bear the pain Zhi Nü her beloved blog relative granddaughter experiences.
A little heart warmed and slightly impressed by the love expressed from a high ranked fairy towards a normal people's cowherd she uses her magic cloud shuttle to locate herself between Niu Lang and Zhi Nü.
"Once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month this holy birds should assist you building a bridge to overcome the abyss of the Milkyway. Reuniting your eternal love."
And that my lovely Steemians is how in remembrance of the eternal love between the Weaver Maiden Zhi Nü and the Cowherd Niu Lang the Chinese Valentine's Day was born during which loved ones send each other red envelopes per WeChat and spent their time in private cinemas and other activities happy couples normally do.
All pictures are from my lovely children's story book:
Today is a day marvelous indeed.
