Hanzi

In ancient times, there lived a scholar named Guo Han, who was skilled in poetry and painting, and had a witty and humorous personality. One summer night, he was enjoying the cool air under a tree. He saw the vast sky like jade, white clouds drifting, a bright moon hanging high, and a gentle breeze carrying fragrant scents throughout the courtyard.

Suddenly, an exceptionally beautiful fairy stood smiling before Guo Han. Guo Han politely asked, "Miss, who are you? And where do you come from?" The fairy replied, "I am the Weaver Girl, from heaven."

Guo Han then asked, "Since you are from heaven, can you tell me about the things there?" The fairy inquired, "What would you like to know?" Guo Han said, "I want to know everything." The fairy responded, "That's quite difficult; where should I begin?" Guo Han urged, "People say immortals are clever, just speak freely."

The fairy began, "In heaven, it's like spring all year round, with no extreme heat in summer or bitter cold in winter. Trees are always green, and flowers never fade. A hundred birds sing harmoniously on the branches, and fish can be seen swimming in the water. There are no diseases, no wars, no taxes; in short, none of the human sufferings exist in heaven."

Guo Han asked, "Heaven sounds so wonderful, why would you come down to the human world?" The fairy chuckled, "For a scholar like you, haven't your predecessors like Zhuangzi said, 'If you stay in a room full of orchids for too long, you won't smell their fragrance anymore'? Staying in heaven for too long can get a bit lonely, so I occasionally come to the human world to play."

Guo Han further inquired, "I've heard there's a medicine that grants immortality. Do you know where to find it?" The fairy replied, "Such medicine doesn't exist in the human world, but it's abundant in heaven." Guo Han said, "Since there's so much in heaven, you should bring some down for people to taste its goodness." The fairy explained, "I can't bring it down. Heavenly things lose their spiritual power when brought to the human world. Otherwise, emperors like Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu Di would have already consumed it."

Guo Han challenged, "You keep saying you're from heaven. How can you prove you're not lying and deceiving me?" The fairy motioned for Guo Han to look at her clothes. Guo Han examined them closely and was surprised to find that the fairy's garments had no seams. The fairy then exclaimed, "Heavenly clothes are seamless! You don't even know this, and yet you call yourself a talent? I think you're a complete fool."

Guo Han burst out laughing, and when he looked again, the fairy had vanished.