This is a story in Strange Tales from Make-Do Studio about "Drunken Tao," a unique species in the
chrysanthemum1 family. The Ma family was a scholars family and a family of chrysanthemum lovers. In this story, the lord of the present generation, Ma Zicai, was more fanantical about the plant than those of previous generations. On hearing of a unique species available in JinlingCity, he rushed there and bought two. On his way back he saw a handsome young man on a horse behind a
canopied2 cart. He was surnamed Tao and the girl inside the cart was his sister Huangying. They were moving away from Jinling and looking for a new place to live. At Ma's invitation, the two settled down in the south courtyard of the Ma residence. The girl often picked up the
withered3 plants Ma discarded and would replant them in front of her room. The next day these withered plants would bloom splendidly and
fragrantly4. Before long, Huanying's flowers became known in the area and many people came to buy them.
Before long Ma's wife died of illness and Ma married the flower-loving Huangying. Every day Ma drank and played chess with her brogher beside chrysanthemum flowers. One day ,after getting drunk, the young man tripped and fell. Ma couldn't believe his eyes when the young man fell and turned in a huge, man-sized chrysanthemum plant. He ran to report to his wife, who rushed out and plucked a flower that she kept inside her dress. By dawn, Ma saw the young man again, lying on the ground fast asleep. He realized that the brother and sister were both chrysanthemum spirits.
But the second time the brother turned into a plant after getting drunk, the young man failed to change back to human form. His sister reserved a length of root from the plant. Before long, a unique species
sprouted5, grew up and bloomed with a smell of wine
aroma6. Later generations caslled this species "Drunken Tao."
《聊斋志异》中的故事。有一种菊花叫“醉陶”，此花名流传着一个故事。从前，有一家姓马的，历代爱菊。到了马子才这一代，更有过于前辈，一次，子才在金陵买了两株菊花佳品。回家路上遇到了一位英俊少年，骑驴紧跟着一车前行。少年自称姓陶，车内坐的是姐姐黄英。因姐姐住不惯金陵，想移居他地。于是，在子才的邀请下，姐弟俩住进了马家南院。陶家姐弟经常把子才扔掉的残谢菊花种到自己住的南院。今日种下，隔日开花，姿色绝美，香气袭人。从前，前来买花者不断。不久，马子才的妻子病死，娶黄英为妻。陶弟天天和子才在菊圃下酒。一日，陶弟喝醉，在回屋时，不小心被菊花绊倒，即化为一株菊花。子才急忙告诉黄英，黄英急出，拔菊放入衣下，待天亮时，见陶弟在地上酣睡。子才这才知道黄英和陶弟都是菊仙。一日，陶弟又醉酒，倒地化菊再未能转回。黄英说我弟弟没命了，立即掐一段根，回屋精心护植，不久开花，飘出浓烈的酒香。后来，人们把这种菊花叫“醉陶”。
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