Fifteen Strings of Cash (Part 1)
A drunken joke, an unlocked door, and fifteen strings of cash send two innocent people straight into a murder case.
明朝的时候，城里住着一个卖肉的人，叫刘贵。In the Ming dynasty, there lived in the city a meat seller named Liu Gui.他的生意越来越差，家里快没有钱了。His business was getting worse and worse, and the family was almost out of money.他的妻子二姐很年轻，每天在家等他回来。His wife Erjie was very young, and every day she waited at home for him to come back.
一天，刘贵去亲戚家借钱，想重新开他的肉店。One day, Liu Gui went to a relative's house to borrow money, hoping to reopen his meat shop.亲戚借给他十五串铜钱，说：“好好做生意，别喝酒。”The relative lent him fifteen strings of copper coins and said, “Run your business well, and stay away from wine.”可是回家的路上，刘贵还是和朋友喝了几杯酒。But on the way home, Liu Gui still drank a few cups of wine with a friend.
晚上回到家，他有点醉，想跟二姐开个玩笑。When he got home that night, a little drunk, he decided to play a joke on Erjie.二姐问：“这么多钱，是从哪里来的？”Erjie asked, “Where did all this money come from?”刘贵笑着说：“这些钱，是我把你卖了换来的。”Liu Gui said with a laugh, “This money? I got it by selling you.”“明天那家人就来接你。”他说完就睡着了。“Tomorrow that family will come to take you away.” And with that, he fell asleep.
二姐以为是真的，坐在床边哭了很久。Erjie believed it was true and sat by the bed crying for a long time.她想：“他真的把我卖了，我要回父母家去。”She thought, “He really sold me. I must go back to my parents' house.”半夜，她轻轻地打开门，走进黑黑的夜里。In the middle of the night, she quietly opened the door and walked out into the darkness.她走得太急，忘了关门。She left in such a hurry that she forgot to close the door.
那天晚上，一个叫阿鼠的小个子男人正好走过。That same night, a small man called Ah Shu happened to pass by.他赌钱输光了，看见门开着，就悄悄走了进去。He had gambled away everything, and when he saw the open door, he slipped quietly inside.他在桌子上看见十五串铜钱，高兴极了。On the table he saw the fifteen strings of copper coins, and his heart leapt.就在这个时候，床上的刘贵醒了。At that very moment, Liu Gui woke up in his bed.
第二天早上，邻居发现刘贵死了，钱也不见了。The next morning, the neighbors found Liu Gui dead, and the money was gone.大家都说：“一定是他的妻子拿了钱，半夜跑了！”Everyone said, “It must be his wife! She took the money and ran off in the night!”这时，二姐正走在回父母家的路上。At that moment, Erjie was walking along the road back to her parents' home.
路上她遇到一个卖丝绸的年轻人，叫崔明。On the road she met a young silk trader named Cui Ming.崔明人很好，说：“我们同路，一起走吧。”Cui Ming was kind and said, “We're going the same way — let's walk together.”谁也没想到，崔明身上正好有十五串铜钱。No one could have guessed that Cui Ming was carrying exactly fifteen strings of copper coins.
那是他卖丝绸换来的钱，一串也不多，一串也不少。It was the money from selling his silk — not one string more, not one string less.中午，几个士兵追了上来，把他们两个人抓住了。At noon, soldiers caught up with them and arrested them both.大家都觉得自己知道答案，只有真相没有人知道。Everyone felt sure they knew the answer — only the truth remained unknown.
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