The Snail Princess and Her Benefactor

One thousand six hundred years later, in a mountain village, there lived a blind grandmother and her only son, Yang Shilin, living in a shabby thatched hut at the entrance of the village.

Yang Shilin's father was originally a teacher, but the poor scholar became addicted to gambling, and the Yang family, which did not have much wealth to begin with, fell into poverty in just two years.

When the creditor came to collect the debt, Old Yang was so angry that he died and went to the Western Paradise.

Yang was left alone with her son who was born a little stupid.

Yang's mother mortgaged the half-dilapidated house in her home, bought a thin coffin for old Yang, and buried him hastily.

The mother and son found this uninhabited thatched house and made it their home.

Mrs. Yang cried all day long and lived a hard life. Now the old woman's eyes have been blinded by tears. However, Yang Shilin, who was only twelve or thirteen years old, has grown into a handsome man with extraordinary talent. He is the most handsome boy in the surrounding area. However, he still seems to be a little ignorant and acts foolishly at the slightest provocation.

Relying on the little writing left by his father, Yang Shilin barely passed the imperial examination and became a scholar.

He was still young and had no means of earning a living, so he could only go up the mountain to chop wood every day. Even filling his stomach was a problem.

That day, Yang Shilin went out to fish in the Jing River at the entrance of the village, thinking of returning to feed his old mother.

Wearing tattered clothes that barely covered his body, he came to the stream at the entrance of the village and groped in the water barefoot.

From noon to sunset, I still found nothing.

Suddenly he noticed that there was a shiny object not far away that was dazzling his eyes.

"Haha...it must be a big fish. Let's see where you can escape this time!"

Yang Shilin seized the opportunity and dived down, grabbing the object tightly in his hand and not daring to let go.

But the hunger in his stomach was unbearable. He suddenly felt weak all over, dizzy, and then fell into the water.

Even though he felt dizzy, he did not loosen his grip on the thing in his hand. This was the only food for him and his mother today, and his old mother was still waiting for it to survive!

After getting up, he raised his hand to take a closer look, and saw that he was holding a colorful conch in his hand. The conch was glittering and colorful, as big as a human head. A colorful halo wrapped around the conch, and a crack at the bottom of the shell led straight to the body of the conch, like the entrance to a ostentatious palace.

Yang Shilin exclaimed, "Oh! It's so big. If I cook it at home, it will definitely be enough for my mother and I to have a meal tonight!"

After saying that, he stepped onto the shore, picked up the conch and looked at it again, but he still felt sorry for it. He murmured to himself, "It's a pity that such a beautiful conch has become my meal tonight!"

Yang Shilin was so hungry that her head was dizzy and her stomach was growling. "Ah... my stomach is more important. It would be a sin to starve me!"

After saying that, he started walking away, but after only a few steps he couldn't help but stop again, took out the colorful conch and looked at it carefully.

There were actually wisps of golden halo on the snail's body that were flashing and shining, as if dazzling to the eyes, and the glittering pearly light was like the crystal clear heart of a young girl, which made Yang Shilin slowly feel a sense of déjà vu.

"Little colorful snail, where is your home? Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before? But I've never caught a snail before, so how can I feel so familiar with you? It's so strange!"

Yang Shilin was stunned again and suddenly laughed out loud: "Forget it, I am a poor scholar, I am hungry every day. I am hungry if I skip one meal today, I am hungry if I skip two meals. If I cook and eat such beautiful conch, I will still be hungry tomorrow."

He turned around and walked barefoot to the place where he had just picked up the colorful snail and said stupidly, "Colored snail, even if I'm hungry today, I, Yang Shilin, will not eat you as my dinner. You should go back to where you came from! Stay away from us humans, otherwise you will become someone else's meal sooner or later."

After saying this, he gently put the colorful conch into the water. The conch disappeared in the instant it entered the water, leaving no trace.

It took him a long time to react, and he sighed and said, "Oh!... If I let Cailuo go, what will my mother and I do tonight!"

Helpless, Yang Shilin had to catch a small fish and go home to cook for his old mother to satisfy her hunger.

The next day, before dawn, Yang Shilin went into the mountains to chop firewood.

As he is still young, it is very difficult for Yang Shilin to chop a load of firewood. Today he wants to chop more so that he can exchange some fine grains for his mother.

His pace was faster than ever before, and Yang Shilin had unknowingly entered too deep into the forest. After bundling the firewood, he looked up at the sky and realized that it was already noon.

It was only at noon that a full load of firewood could be chopped. Usually, only a small load could be chopped, which could be exchanged for a little bit of coarse grain to barely keep from starving to death.

The firewood chopped today was a lot and very dry. Yang Shilin was unable to carry it all at once. He used all his strength and firmly gripped the ground with his feet, and then he could barely carry the large load of firewood.

His whole body was buried in the firewood, and Yang Shilin, who was carrying the firewood, could hardly be seen. The road down the mountain was winding, and the young scholar walked unsteadily and staggeringly.

Yang Shilin stopped to rest and looked back at the firewood he had chopped today. He was quite satisfied with the results of today's work. This load of firewood should be able to be exchanged for some fine grains.

After resting for a while, Yang Shilin continued to carry firewood and walked towards the market at the foot of the mountain with difficulty.

When he arrived at the market, he saw a bustling crowd and it was very lively. Yang Shilin chose a corner where there was a lot of people walking around and put down his pile of firewood, waiting for buyers to come and ask for the price.

A handsome young scholar was carrying firewood to sell at the market. Many passers-by pointed and talked curiously, but no one came forward to inquire about the price of the firewood.

An old man selling calligraphy and paintings next to him asked with a smile: "Young man, this load of firewood looks good. It is obviously top-quality firewood."

Yang Shilin bowed deeply and replied, "Sir, you are kidding me. This is just a load of firewood. It is not as pleasing to the eye as your calligraphy and paintings."

The calligrapher stroked his beard and could not help but look the boy up and down. Although the boy was wearing tattered clothes and wearing a pair of worn-out straw sandals barefoot, he had a handsome face, a finely carved face, a tall and straight nose, slightly upturned cherry-like lips, a pair of dark brown eyes under sword-like eyebrows, a clear gaze, and long feathery eyelashes that made the eyes look even more elegant.

The calligraphy and painting master couldn't help but sigh, "What a handsome young man! I think you are a scholar, but why do you go up to the mountains to chop wood for a living instead of studying hard at home so that you can pass the imperial examination and bring honor to your family!"

Yang Shilin replied respectfully, "My father was a teacher, but he left me and my old mother when I was still young and ignorant. I passed the imperial examination last year and will be preparing for the provincial examination next year!"

The calligraphy and painting master twisted his beard and pointed: "Oh... that's great! You and I are very compatible. I like young men with ambition. Come on! Take a look at my calligraphy and paintings."

Upon hearing this, Yang Shilin walked out of his firewood pile, entered the old gentleman's calligraphy and painting stall, and began to admire the paintings one by one. Although he had passed the examination and became a scholar, he had never had the opportunity to view so many calligraphy and paintings so closely.

For a moment, he was obsessed with it again. He threw away the firewood he had worked so hard to chop and looked at the beautiful paintings and calligraphy in front of him, unwilling to even take his eyes off them.

The old gentleman saw that this was a sour scholar, and he couldn't even walk after seeing these calligraphy and paintings. He smiled and twirled his beard while helping Yang Shilin to watch his firewood.

Yang Shilin slowly savored each picture one by one, reluctant to put down any of them, and suddenly a picture of a lady caught his eye.

The picture shows a lady as beautiful as a fairy, carrying a bamboo basket filled with colorful flowers. The lady is strolling leisurely in a palace courtyard full of flowers, her figure swaying charmingly and gracefully.

The spring scenery in the garden could not hold back the lady's passion, as if the lady would walk out of the painting and bow to him to thank him! For a moment, he even forgot to move his feet and stared at the lady's painting without blinking.

Yang Shilin felt as if his heart was struck by lightning. This lady looked very familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

The old gentleman looked at Yang Shilin, staring at the painting of the lady in a daze for a long while, standing there motionless like a wooden stake.

He stepped forward, patted Yang Shilin lightly and asked, "Sir, do you like this painting?"

Yang Shilin was frightened by the old gentleman's words and shuddered: "Excuse me, sir. When I saw this picture of a lady, I felt like I had seen her somewhere before. I was actually a little dazed. I lost my composure for a moment. Please forgive me, sir!"

"Hahaha... It is said that the lady in this painting is the sixth princess of the god of the Jing River here. It was painted by a deity who used this painting to pay off a debt for drinking. How can you go to see the sixth princess? But it doesn't matter! If you like it, buy it and take it home to appreciate it slowly. Isn't it beautiful?"

Yang Shilin shook his head and said, "I don't have a penny on me, how can I afford to buy calligraphy and paintings? Sir, please see if I have anything valuable on me."

"Hahaha... young master, don't worry. I got this painting in exchange for a bowl of porridge from an old woman. It has been hanging here for half a year and no one has shown any interest in it. Now that you like it so much, I think, why don't you exchange it for this load of firewood?" The old man pointed to the pile of firewood next to him.

Yang Shilin turned his head to look at the firewood, then at the painting of the lady, and sighed: "Ah... If my old mother wasn't dizzy with hunger at home, I would have loved to have said this, but my old mother is still waiting for me to exchange firewood for some food to save her life!"

After saying this, without waiting for the calligraphy and painting master to respond, he turned around and left the calligraphy and painting stall, squatting in front of his firewood pile.

But until the autumn sun set, no one came to check on his firewood. Yang Shilin was so hungry that he felt dizzy and dizzy. He took out the little bit of coarse grains he had, took a small bite, and chewed it back and forth in his mouth.

There were fewer and fewer people in the market, and Mr. Calligraphy and Painting began to pack up and prepare to go home.

He looked at Yang Shilin beside him, shook his head and asked, "Young Master, no one has shown interest in your load of firewood for half a day. Why don't you do as I say and exchange it with me? If not, I can give you a bowl of fine rice. What do you think?"

Yang Shilin immediately stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, sir! Why not? I will help you carry the firewood to your home!"

Contented, Yang Shilin held the painting of the lady in his hand, humming a little tune as he ran towards home.

When he came to the stream at the entrance of the village, he couldn't help but stop.

This is the place where the colorful snails were once caught. Since the day they were released, whenever Yang Shilin goes fishing here, there will always be fish that come forward for him to catch, and he will never return empty-handed.

Yang Shilin thought that he was releasing the conches and God did this out of pity for his loneliness and helplessness, so he would never be greedy and catch more. Only when he was really hungry would he come here to pray for one or two fish or shrimps in exchange for some food.

Every time I pass by, I will thank the river god devoutly, praying to the river god to protect my mother's health and myself from academic failure. I will also talk to the little conch about my troubles that no one can confide in.

When I passed by this place today, I couldn't help but stop again, put my hands together and bowed deeply, saying: "Cai Luo, I got a painting of a lady today. It is said to be a portrait of the Sixth Princess of Jinghe. It is very beautiful. How about I open it with you and take a look!"

After saying that, he actually opened the painting, found a willow tree to hang it on, and looked closely at the beauty in the painting, staring at her in a daze for a moment.

He murmured to himself, "Sixth Princess, is the lady in the Sixth Princess's painting you? Why do I feel so familiar and excited when I see your portrait?..."

He gently stroked the princess's hair and continued, "Alas... It's a pity that you and I can only be together like this. The princess is so beautiful, as beautiful as a fairy, but she can only live out her life alone in this painting. If I can have a wife as beautiful as the princess, then I will have no regrets in this life!"

As Yang Shilin was talking, tears welled up in his eyes. Suddenly, the lady in the painting had a flash of inspiration, and she opened her cherry lips slightly: "My husband, I am here to greet you!"

Yang Shilin was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He stepped back in panic, slipped and sat on the ground, shaking all over and not daring to look at the painting again.