河北昌黎赵家庄有个赵员外,夫人早早谢世,撇下一对双胞胎女儿,大的叫桃儿,小的叫杏儿。都说双胞胎模样长得一样,可这姊妹俩长得差出了格:姐姐花容月貌,让人不敢直眼瞅；妹妹奇丑无比,也让人不敢直眼瞅。老话说,女人就是靠个模样儿吃得开,赵员外让杏儿可真就活活愁煞啦,这样的丑妮子,日后可怎么嫁得出去来上门求亲的踢破门槛,都是冲姐姐来的。赵员外放出风去:哪个娶了他家杏儿,嫁妆丰厚。大伙背地里嘲笑说:”宁吃鲜桃一口,不吃烂杏一筐。谁个要她”爹爹发愁,杏儿却大大咧咧不当回事,她说:”什么人,什么命,绊不倒,尖尖腚。我就这命了,愁是愁不好的,就让它爱咋的便咋的吧。”她一天小姐也不像个小姐样子,跟小放猪的上山抓鸟,跟打鱼的下河摸虾；人家上学,她也吵吵着念书,爹爹管不住,只好由她。就是不学针线。姐姐劝她:”你自来就长得不如人,还不好生练一手活儿,哪个肯要你”杏儿笑笑:”人无远虑,必有近忧。别看你一副好模样儿,整天对着镜子搽啊抹啊,人是要老的,该不顶用时照样不顶用。”姐姐听她说得丧气,恼得不屑理她。

　　赵员外家门前种了一片桃子,这桃子味道十分鲜美,只是熟得太迟,抢卖不上大价钱,因此也不当回事儿,没指派专人莳弄它们。这一年秋涝天寒,桃子熟得尤其慢,直到砍了高粱,果子还吊在树上呢。割去了高粱头儿,闪下秆子怕下雨淋了,便贪黑扛回来,立在一棵桃树上,围了一大圈儿。这事也就忘记了。可是到了冬天,拿开那堆高粱杆儿要喂牲口哇,一看,赵员外眼都直了:原来夜里杵高粱捆儿,没成想里面包住的那棵桃树没下果子,严严实实地包在树上,现在打开,果子是鲜的,寒冬腊月吃鲜桃,赶上王母娘娘啦赵员外大喜过望,有这样的好东西,自己可舍不得吃,这儿离京城不太远,得献给皇上。找个算卦的问问吉凶吧,得爻是上上大吉卦,道是能大富大贵呢。

　　满家子高兴,唯独二小姐杏儿不同意:”那天不过是我一时突发怪想,弄了这么个把戏,有福咱自己享,凭什么孝敬皇上,恐怕不祥。”赵员外和桃儿如何听得进这话去鲜桃送到京城,果然龙心大悦,皇上当时降旨封赵员外为”桃千户”,没什么职权,可到底是皇封的,当地父母官也不敢慢待,听说明年皇上还要派钦差到赵府考查,说是有选大小姐进宫的意思。听到这风声,地方官员如何不巴结车来轿往,赵府立时风光起来。

　　赵员外乐得不知天高地厚了,他问杏儿:”如何”杏儿道:”爹爹呀,人无远虑,必有近忧。古人半句没说差。现在我们小民乍富,不少人妒忌咱哪,您老人家千万多栽花,少种刺,别弄到墙倒众人推那一天。”员外没料到她有这么堆难听话等着,恨恨地说:”死妮子,貌丑话凶,没治了。”只是可怜她没娘,又没长上副好模样,也就赌气不屑理她就是。

　　赵府热热闹闹地过了一年。第二年腊月,一骑快马跑到赵府门前停住。原来是朝廷到了冬天又想吃鲜桃,问怎么还不按时进贡,打发人催取来了。赵家今秋也想照去年那么存放桃子,可是,天气不比去年,不等霜至,桃子熟透落果,如何存放得住如实告诉钦差,皇上发了火,降旨把赵员外满门捉拿,交刑部问欺君之罪。到了这时候,赵员外才想起杏儿的良言,后悔也迟了再说杏儿,一到大堂,高呼”冤枉”,声言如果面见皇上,定可让皇上吃到鲜桃,三审官不敢隐瞒,杏儿就得到了面君的机会。

　　杏儿跪在金銮殿下,对皇上说:”奴本农家一丑女,死无遗憾。我料定皇上今年必然还想那鲜桃,已经悄悄在后山背坡留下了几个果儿……”原来,杏儿知道天气不能总如去年那么反常,就根据桃子生长的条件,选后山背阴处移栽了几棵,果然有当年开花的。她就守在山上,织了不少草帘子,日头毒了时,挡住日光,让桃树多见雨水,少受日晒,秋后果然晚熟,又如法用草盖住,又怕虫咬鼠盗,好不容易才保存下来几只鲜桃。

　　皇上派人带杏儿取得鲜桃,这才转怒为喜,不但赦全家无罪,还要给杏儿个封号。杏儿说:”民女死过一回的人啦,更不怕皇上怪罪。今冒死进一言,”桃子是天生之物,它有自己的规律,天子硬要逼它改变,兴师动众地为几只鲜桃又是抓人,又是动刑,百姓知道,会很伤心的。我今年贡桃免罪受封,明年再贡不来呢这样下去,谁还敢想到万岁呢”皇上听了,半天做声不得,说:”真是难得的人才。当今天下多事,急需用人。朕如今不能以貌取人,误了江山。”立刻降旨,选赵杏儿进宫,当了娘娘。

　　丑女有远虑,好学多问,救了爹爹、全家,也成全了自己；而她的姐姐呢,空有一副好模样,高不成,低不就,在家中整日对着镜子发呆,一听到外面有热闹声音,马上说:”皇上派钦差接我进宫当娘娘来啦,快开大门。”直到老还这样,用如今的话说,就是得狂想症啦。

  The river north Chang Li Zhao4 Jia Zhuang has a Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4, the madam early and early thank a life time, cast aside a rightness of twins' daughter, big of call peach son, small of call almond son.All say twins' shape to grow similar, can this sister a pair grew a bad a space: elder sister the flower permit the looks in month, let the person dare not to keep eye Chou;The younger sister is strange and ugly and matchless and also let the person dare not to keep eye Chou.The old words say that woman be depend a shape son eat open, Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 make the almond son true and then live sorrow very, so of ugly Ni son, in the days to come how can marry go out  to come to propose marriage of kick and break threshold, all is blunt elder sister come.Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 let out breeze go to:which married almond son in his house, the trousseau was big.Everyone carry ground on everyone's back the inside derision say:"rather eat a fresh peach one mouthful, don't eat a lousy almond one basket.Who want her  "the daddy become sad, but almond son consumedly not appropriate return to matter, she say:" what person, what life, the Ban don't pour, point point Mao.I this life, the sorrow be not a sorrow okay, let it love Zha of then Zha of."She a day the young lady also be unlike young lady's appearance, heel small put climb mountain of pig to grasp bird, heel dozen descend of fish the river touch shrimp;The somebody else go to school, she be also noisy noisy study, daddy tube don't live, have to from her.Be don't learn thread.The elder sister advise her: the "you from to have already grown a not equal to person, also not living to practice a skill to live son, which be willing to your  " almond son smile:"person have no forethought, necessarily have immediate worries.Don't see your[one] good shape son, the whole day toward mirror Cha put on, the person want the old, should not the crest use as usual not the crest use."The elder sister listen to her say frustrated, angered despise reason she.

  Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 kind front the family one peach, this peach flavor be very fresh the United States, just familiar get too late, rob to sell not top big price, so also not appropriate return to matter son, have no parties specially assigned Shi lane they.This year the autumn Lao be cold, the peach be familiar particularly slow, until chopped down sorghum, does the fruit still mourn on the tree.Mow go to sorghum head son, the Shan rain Gan son afraid rained to pour, then be greedy for black carry on the shoulder back, sign on a peach tree, round a big turn son.This matter also forgot.But go to winter, take away that sorghum pole son and feed domestic animals, on see, Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4's eye all kept: originally the Chu sorghum tie～up son at the mid-night, didn't become think inside wrap up of that peach tree didn't descend fruit, strict solid on-the-spot pack on the tree, now open, the fruit be fresh, cold winter La month eat fresh peach and catch up goddess the Queen Mother  Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 be delight with unexpected good news and have so of good thing, oneself can loathe to give up eat, here leave a capital city not too far, get dedicate to the emperor.Seek a calculate Gua of ask Ji fierce, get Yao is top top great luck Gua, be the way that ability Ta-f is big and expensive.

  Full son in the house is happy, only two young lady the almond son dissimilarity idea:"that day however is me at that time abrupt crotchet, lane so one or two drama, have blessing Za oneself enjoy, with what show filial obedience an emperor, perhaps bad omen."Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 and peach son how listen to enter this words to send to a capital city to the  fresh peach, indeed as expected the dragon heart big Yue, the emperor issue royal decree Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 at that time for" peach 1000", nothing important authority, can exactly be a Huang of, the region the parents officer also dare not to treat shabbily, hear next year the emperor still want parties imperial envoy to Zhao4 Fu3 to investigate and say is have already chosen a spoilt daughter of a rich family into the temple of meaning.Hear this information, officials in the place how don't fawn on a  car to come to Jiao to go toward, Zhao4 Fu3 Li4 scene.

  Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 joy have to not know immensity of the universe, he asked almond son:"how  " almond son way:"daddy ah, the person have no forethought and necessarily have immediate worries.The ancients half sentence said bad.Now we little people suddenly rich, not a few people jealousy Za which, you ten million in old man's house much plant flowers, the little kind stab, don't lane arrive the wall pour public push that day."Member outside have never expected her to have the heap unpleasant to hear words so wait for, hate ground to say:" dead Ni son, looks the ugly words be fierce, cured."Just wretchedness she have no Niang, again didn't long top pair good shape, also in anger despise reason she be.

  Zhao4 Fu3 Re4 was noisy to make ground to lead for a year.Two year La month, a stop before riding quick Ma3 Pao3 to Zhao4 Fu3 Men2.BE an imperial government to winter again want to eat fresh peach, ask how to still don't pay tribute on time, dozen hair the person urge to take come.Zhao4 Jia the autumn also want to shine on last year to so deposit peach now, but, the weather be unlike last year, not etc. frost go to, the peach be thoroughly cooked to fall a fruit, how deposit live  such as solid tell imperial envoy, the emperor became angry, issue royal decree to arrest Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4's whole family and hand over the offense that the Xing department ask a deceit gentleman.Arrived by this time, Zhao4 Yuan2 Wai4 just reminded of almond son of good speech, penitence also late  again say almond son, an arrive big hall, halloo to"wrong", declare if the noodles see an emperor, settle can let the emperor eat fresh peach, three review an officer to dare not conceal, almond son have to arrive the opportunity of noodles gentleman.

  The almond son kneel under the main hall of palace and say to the emperor:"Nu origin the farmer be one ugly female, dead have no regret.I anticipate settle this year of emperor inevitable also think that fresh peach, already silently at empress mountain carry ascent on mountain's back leave a few fruit son ……"originally, the almond son know the weather can't total such as last year so abnormal, according to peach growth of condition, mountain carry Yin on mountain's back after choose move to plant several, indeed as expected have that year bloom.She guard in the top of hill, knit not a few grass Lian son, day head poison, hold up sunlight, let the peach tree see rain water more, be subjected to the insolation, autumn result however night less familiar, again in the same way cover up with the grass, again afraid the insect bite rat thief and with difficulty keep down a few fresh peach.

  Emperor parties the person take almond son to obtain fresh peach, this just turn Nu for pleased, not only She whole family not guilty, return to to give almond son number.The almond son say:"people female dead lead once of person, more not afraid the emperor blame.Risk death into one speech now, "the peach be naturally of thing, it have oneself of regulation, the Emperor stubbornly force it change, dispatch army and involve the masses the ground as a few fresh peach and is to catch a person, again is to start to use torture, the common people know, would be very sad.I this year the Gong peach don't need offense to be created, next year again Gong not come  if this continues, who still dare to thought of long live the  "the emperor listenned to, the along while speak can not, say:" is really rare of talented person.Nowadays world many matter, need use a person  urgently to.I now can't judge people solely by their appearance, mistake river's mountain."Immediately issue royal decree, choose Zhao4 Xing4 Er2 to enter a temple, was an empress.

  The ugly female has forethought, good learn to much ask, saved daddy, whole family, also helped oneself;But her elder sister, empty have a good shape, Gao don't become, low not, at in home whole day toward a mirror stunned, a hear outside have noisy voice, say right away:"emperor parties the imperial envoy pick me up into the temple be empress come, quick open front door."Until old return so, use now of words say, be get fantasize a disease.