月下老人 — “The Old Man Under the Moon”

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a man named Wei Gu. One day, he traveled to Songcheng and stayed at the South Inn. One evening, as Wei Gu strolled along the street, he saw an old man sitting on the ground under the moonlight, flipping through a large, thick book. Beside him was a big cloth bag filled with red strings. Curious, Wei Gu approached and asked, 'Elderly sir, what book are you reading?' The old man replied, 'This is a book that records the marriages of all men and women under heaven.'

Even more curious, Wei Gu asked again, 'And what are the red strings in your bag for?' The old man smiled and told Wei Gu, 'These red strings are used to tie the feet of fated couples. No matter if they are enemies or live far apart, as long as I tie their feet with these red strings, they are destined to reconcile and become husband and wife.' Wei Gu naturally didn't believe him, thinking the old man was jesting. However, he remained curious about this peculiar old man.

As he was about to ask more questions, the old man stood up and, carrying his book and bag, walked towards the Rice Market. Wei Gu followed him. Upon reaching the Rice Market, they saw a blind woman approaching, carrying a little girl of about three years old. The old man then said to Wei Gu, 'The little girl held by this blind woman will be your future wife.'

Wei Gu was furious, thinking the old man was deliberately mocking him. He ordered his servant, Jia Nu, to kill the little girl, to see if she would still become his wife in the future. The servant ran forward, stabbed the girl, and then immediately fled. When Wei Gu went to look for the old man to confront him, he had already vanished.

Time flew by, and fourteen years passed in the blink of an eye. By then, Wei Gu had found a suitable partner and was about to get married. His fiancée was the beloved daughter of Wang Tai, the Cishi (Prefect) of Xiangzhou, a very beautiful woman, except for a scar between her eyebrows.

Wei Gu found this very strange, so he asked his father-in-law, 'Why does she have a scar between her eyebrows?' The Cishi of Xiangzhou replied, 'It's infuriating to recall. Fourteen years ago in Songcheng, one day her nanny, Chen, was carrying her past the Rice Market when a madman inexplicably stabbed her. Fortunately, her life was not in danger, only this scar remained. It was truly a blessing in disguise!'

Wei Gu paused, stunned, as the events of fourteen years ago flashed rapidly in his mind. He thought: Could this be the little girl I ordered my servant to kill? He then nervously pressed, 'Was the nanny a blind woman?' Seeing his son-in-law's meaningful expression and strange question, Wang Tai asked in return, 'Yes, she was blind. But how did you know?' When Wei Gu confirmed this, he was utterly astonished and speechless for a moment.

After a while, he calmed down and recounted the entire story of meeting the Old Man Under the Moon in Songcheng fourteen years ago. Wang Tai was also greatly surprised upon hearing this. Only then did Wei Gu realize that the Old Man Under the Moon's words were not a joke; their marriage was indeed destined by the gods. Therefore, the couple cherished their marriage even more, living a life of deep affection.

Soon, this incident spread to Songcheng. To commemorate the appearance of the Old Man Under the Moon, the local people renamed the South Inn to 'Engagement Inn.' Due to the widespread circulation of this story, people came to believe that the union of men and women is orchestrated by the Old Man Under the Moon, who ties them together with red strings. Thus, later generations referred to matchmakers as '月下老人' (The Old Man Under the Moon), or simply '月老' (Moon Elder).