Chu Yang loved to read from an early age. He honored his parents, treated his friends well, and earned praise from his neighbors.
Both his parents passed away, leaving him heartbroken and unable to pull himself together. As an only child, he was terribly lonely. He did not want to go home each day, because once he got there, he was all alone. One night, he returned home and saw the books his parents had bought him on the bookshelf. It suddenly struck him: weren't these books his companions? He felt that the books embodied his parents, and he no longer felt lonely. He remembered his parents' dying wish: for him to pass the imperial examinations and become the top scholar, then bring prosperity to the people.
He pulled himself together. He studied while working and resolved to become the top scholar.
The Book God and his wife learned of Chu Yang's touching story and asked their friend, Daoist Wang Qing, to send him a precious book called The Book God's Enlightenment. It was a very special book.
One morning, Chu Yang found a book by his door and wondered who had left it there. It was beautifully made, and he liked it very much. Inside was a bookmark depicting a beautiful young woman reading.
The daughter of Master Zhao, Zhao Ruili, had come down with a coughing-blood illness. Several doctors had failed to cure her, so Master Zhao posted a notice in the street, offering a thousand taels of silver to anyone who could cure Miss Zhao.
Chu Yang saw the notice. He knew a little about medicine, but he could not cure the young lady. When he got up the next morning, he found a gourd and a note beside the precious book. The note read: "The gourd contains medicine for Miss Zhao." He had no idea what was going on, but he guessed that some divine being might be helping him from the shadows.
He went to Miss Zhao's home and was stunned when he saw Ruili! Wasn't she the young woman on the bookmark?
This novel is dedicated to Master Pu Songling and all its readers!
