叶生 蒲松龄
淮阳叶生者，失其名字。文章词赋，冠绝当时，而所遇不偶，困于名场。会关东丁乘鹤来令是邑，见其文，奇之，召与语，大悦。使即官署受灯火，时赐钱谷恤其家。值科试，公游扬于学使，遂领冠军。公期望綦切，闱后索文读之，击节称叹。不意时数限人，文章憎命，及放榜时，依然铩羽。生嗒丧而归，愧负知己，形销骨立，痴若木偶。公闻，召之来而慰之；生零涕不已。公怜之，相期考满入都，携与俱北。生甚感佩。辞而归，杜门不出。无何寝疾。公遗问不绝，而服药百裹，殊罔所效。
公适以忤上官免，将解任去。函致之，其略云：“仆东归有日，所以迟迟者，待足下耳。足下朝至，则仆夕发矣。”传之卧榻。生持书啜泣，寄语来使：“疾革难遽瘥，请先发。”使人返白。公不忍去，徐待之。
逾数日，门者忽通叶生至。公喜，迎而问之。生曰：“以犬马病，劳夫子久待，万虑不宁。今幸可从杖履。”公乃束装戒旦。抵里，命子师事生，夙夜与俱。公子名再昌，时年十六，尚不能文。然绝慧，凡文艺三两过，辄无遗忘。居之期岁，便能落笔成文。益之公力，遂入邑痒。生以生平所拟举业悉录授读，闱中七题，并无脱漏，中亚魁。公一日谓生曰：“君出余绪，遂使孺子成名。然黄钟长弃若何！”生曰：“是殆有命！借福泽为文章吐气，使天下人知半生沦落，非战之罪也，愿亦足矣。且士得一人知己可无憾，何必抛却白纻，乃谓之利市哉！”公以其久客，恐误岁试，劝令归省。生惨然不乐，公不忍强，嘱公子至都为之纳粟。公子又捷南宫，授部中主政，携生赴监，与共晨夕。逾岁，生入北闱，竟领乡荐。会公子差南河典务，因谓生曰：“此去离贵乡不远。先生奋迹云霄，锦还为快。”生亦喜。择吉就道，抵淮阳界，命仆马送生归。
见门户萧条，意甚悲恻。逡巡至庭中，妻携簸具以出，见生，掷具骇走。生凄然曰：“今我贵矣！三四年不觌，何遂顿不相识？”妻遥谓曰：“君死已久，何复言贵？所以久淹君柩者，以家贫子幼耳。今阿大亦已成立，将卜窀穸，勿作怪异吓生人。”生闻之，怃然惆怅。逡巡入室，见灵柩俨然，扑地而灭。妻惊视之，衣冠履舄如蜕委焉。大恸，抱衣悲哭。子自塾中归，见结驷于门，审所自来，骇奔告母。母挥涕告诉。又细询从者，始得颠末。从者返，公子闻之，涕堕垂膺。即命驾哭诸其室；出橐为营丧，葬以孝廉礼。又厚遗其子，为延师教读。言于学使，逾年游泮。
异史氏曰：“魂从知己竟忘死耶？闻者疑之，余深信焉。同心倩女，至离枕上之魂；千里良朋，犹识梦中之路。而况茧丝蝇迹，吐学士之心肝；流水高山，通我曹之性命者哉！嗟乎！遇合难期，遭逢不偶。行踪落落，对影长愁；傲骨嶙嶙，搔头自爱。叹面目之酸涩，来鬼物之揶揄。频居康了之中，则须发之条条可丑；一落孙山之外，则文章之处处皆疵。古今痛哭之人，卞和惟尔；颠倒逸群之物，伯乐伊谁？抱刺于怀，三年灭字，侧身以望，四海无家。人生世上，只须合眼放步，以听造物之低昂而已。天下之昂藏沦落如叶生者，亦复不少，顾安得令威复来而生死从之也哉？噫！”
Walked away in a slightly better mood than when I started reading, that says something about the writing, and a stop at unicorntempo kept that going, content that leaves you feeling more capable rather than overwhelmed is the kind I keep coming back to again and again over the years and across many topics.
Really clear writing, the kind that makes you want to share the link with someone who has been asking about the topic, and a quick browse through urgesnare only made me more sure of that, the information here stays useful long after the first read is done which says a lot.
Now sitting with the thoughts the post triggered rather than rushing on to the next thing, and a stop at rubyorchardcraftcollective extended that reflective pause, content that earns time for thought after closing the tab is content of higher value than the merely interesting and this site has clearly produced that lasting effect today.
Easy to recommend, the content speaks for itself without needing additional praise from me, and a stop at banyaneagle only adds more reasons to send people this way, the kind of generous resource that benefits its readers without demanding anything in return is increasingly rare and worth recognising clearly today across the broader open internet.
Reading carefully this time rather than scanning, and the depth shows up in places I missed first time around, and a look at primevaluecorner rewarded the same careful approach, content that holds up to multiple reads is content I want more of in my regular rotation rather than disposable scroll fodder daily.
Liked the way the post got out of its own way, and a stop at plumcoveartisanexchange extended that invisible craft, the best writing you barely notice while reading because it is doing its work without drawing attention to itself and this site has clearly mastered that disappearing act across the pieces I have read.
Took the time to read every paragraph rather than skimming for the punchline, and a quick visit to siskastencil earned the same careful attention from me, that is the highest signal I can give about content quality because my default mode is rapid scanning rather than deliberate reading on most pages.
Reading this confirmed a small detail I had been uncertain about, and a stop at carobburlap provided the source for further checking, content that supports verification through citations or links rather than just asserting facts is more trustworthy and this site has clearly built its credibility through that kind of verifiable approach consistently.
Looking through the archives suggests this site has been doing this for a while at this level, and a look at ekomug confirmed the long term consistency, sites that have maintained quality across years rather than just a recent stretch are sites with serious editorial discipline and this one has clearly been at it for a while.
Different feel from the algorithmically optimised posts that dominate the topic, and a stop at bayougourd reinforced that human touch, you can tell when a site is being run by someone who reads what they publish versus someone just hitting submit and moving on quickly to the next assignment without checking the result.
Just want to say thank you for putting this together, posts like these make searching online actually worth it sometimes, and a quick look at shopwavemarket kept that going, useful and easy to read without any of the tricks that ruin most blog comment sections lately on the wider open web.
A piece that handled multiple complications without becoming confused, and a look at alpinecobble continued that organisational clarity, holding multiple threads in a single piece without losing any of them is a sign of skilled writing and this site has clearly developed the editorial discipline to manage complexity without sacrificing readability throughout.
Appreciate how nothing here feels copied or pieced together from other places, the voice is consistent and the tone stays human, and after I checked tarotshire I noticed the same style holds, which is a small detail but it makes the whole experience feel personal rather than like another generic site.
Excellent execution from start to finish, the post never loses its rhythm and the points stay sharp, and a quick stop at flintanchor kept the same level going, consistency like this across a site is the marker of a serious operation rather than a casual side project running on autopilot somewhere else.
However casually I came to this site I have ended up reading carefully, and a look at sambasavor continued earning that careful reading, the conversion from casual visitor to careful reader is something content earns rather than demands and this site has accomplished that conversion for me over the course of just a few pieces.
Closed the post with a small satisfied sigh, and a stop at lanternorchardartisanexchange produced the same gentle exhale, content that ends well is content that respects the rhythm of reading and the writers here have clearly thought about how their pieces close rather than just trailing off when they run out of things to say.
Reading this between two meetings turned out to be the highlight of the morning, and a stop at jazbox continued that highlight quality, content that outshines the structured parts of a working day is doing something well beyond ordinary and this site has produced multiple such highlights for me already this week alone.
Bookmark added with a small note about why, and a look at horcall prompted another bookmark with another note, the bookmarks I annotate are the ones I expect to return to deliberately rather than stumble into and this site is generating annotated bookmarks at a higher rate than my usual content sources by some margin.
Now placing this in the small category of sites whose updates I would actually want to know about, and a stop at brightharbormerchantgallery confirmed that placement, the difference between sites I want to follow and sites I just consume from is real and this one has crossed into the active follow category from the casual consumption side.
Looking through other posts here the consistency is what makes the site valuable rather than any single piece, and a stop at shoresyrup extended that consistency observation, sites whose value lies in the ongoing pattern rather than in standout posts are sites I trust more deeply and this one has clearly built that kind of trust.
A piece that handled the topic with appropriate weight without becoming portentous, and a look at quickridgecommercegallery continued that calibrated seriousness, content that takes itself seriously without becoming pompous is something this site has clearly figured out and the balance shows up in every piece I have read across multiple sessions now.
Speaking carefully because I do not want to overstate things this site is genuinely above average across multiple measurements, and a stop at aviarybuckle continued the above average performance, the calibration of judgement against potential overstatement is something I take seriously and this site clears the higher bar even after that calibration applies.
Really like that there are no exclamation marks or all caps shouting throughout the post, and a quick visit to chestnutharbormerchantgallery maintained the same calm voice, restraint in punctuation signals confidence in the content and this site clearly trusts its substance to do the persuading rather than relying on typographic emphasis.
Reading this on the train into work was a better use of the commute than my usual choices, and a stop at ilavex extended that commute reading well, content that improves transit time rather than just filling it is content with practical benefit and this site has earned its place in my morning commute reading rotation.
I came here looking for a quick answer and ended up reading the whole post because it was actually interesting, and after stylesteam I had a much fuller picture, no stress and no confusion just a clear walk through the topic that made everything fall into place without much effort.
Considered alongside other sources I have been reading this one consistently rises to the top, and a stop at brackenglaze maintained that top ranking, the informal ongoing comparison between sources is something I do whenever reading on a topic and this site keeps coming out near the top of those comparisons over many sessions.
Beats most of the alternatives on the topic by a noticeable margin, and a look at sagevogue did not change that at all, this is one of the better corners of the open internet for this kind of content and I am glad I clicked through rather than skipping past quickly like I usually do.
A piece that handled a controversial angle without becoming heated, and a look at seacoveartisanexchange continued that calm engagement, content that can address contested topics without inflaming them is doing rare diplomatic work and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to handle sensitive material with the appropriate temperature of writing throughout.
Reading this slowly because the writing rewards a slower pace, and a stop at stylishcartzone did the same, the pace at which I read content is something I now use as a quality signal and writing that earns a slower pace earns my attention as a reader looking for substance these days.
Skipped the related links section thinking I had read enough and then came back to it later when curiosity got the better of me, and a stop at smartonlinemarket confirmed I should have just read it first, every section of this site appears to deserve careful attention rather than skipping past lazily.
A piece that read as the work of someone who reads carefully themselves, and a look at sheentiny continued that informed feel, writers who are also serious readers produce work with a different quality and this site reads as the product of someone steeped in good writing rather than just generating content for an audience.
If you asked me to point to a recent positive sign for the open web this site would be near the top, and a stop at carobcattail reinforced that designation, the few sites that serve as evidence the web can still produce quality independent content are precious and this one has clearly become one for me.
Even on a quick first read the substance of the post comes through, and a look at beaconaster reinforced that immediate quality, content that does not require a slow careful read to demonstrate value but rewards one anyway is content with real depth and this site has produced work of that demanding depth class.
Reading this gave me something to think about for the rest of the afternoon, and after plumcovecraftcollective I had even more to mull over, the kind of post that lingers in the background of your day rather than evaporating immediately is genuinely valuable in an attention economy that punishes depth rather than rewarding it.
After reading several posts back to back the consistent voice across them is impressive, and a stop at ambercanyon continued that voice consistency, sites that maintain a single coherent voice across many pieces by potentially many writers represent serious editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed the institutional consistency needed for that.
Picked up two new ideas that I expect will come up in conversations this week, and a look at aspenfalcon added another, content that arms me with talking points rather than just filling time is the kind that provides ongoing value beyond the moment of reading and this site is generating that kind of ongoing value.
Closed several other tabs to focus on this one as I read, and a stop at ekooat held my undivided attention the same way, content that earns full focus in an attention environment full of competing pulls is content doing something genuinely well and the team behind it deserves recognition for that achievement consistently.
Reading this slowly in the morning before opening email, and a stop at sketchstamp extended that protected attention, content that earns the prime morning reading slot before the daily distractions begin is content with elevated status and this site has earned that prime slot consistently in my recent reading habits clearly.
Worth a quiet moment of recognition for the consistency I have noticed across multiple posts, and a stop at hupbolt continued that consistent quality, sites that maintain quality across many pieces rather than peaking on one viral post are sites with real editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed that discipline carefully.
Worth saying that the post fit naturally into a rhythm of careful reading, and a stop at calmharborcommercegallery extended the same rhythm, content that pairs well with how I actually read rather than demanding a different mode is content well calibrated to its likely audience and this site has clearly thought about that consistently.
Decided this was the best thing I had read all morning, and a stop at lanternorchardcraftcollective kept that ranking intact, ranking my reading is something I do mentally throughout the day and the top rank is competitive and not easily won but this site won it without needing to overstate its claims for that.
Reading this gave me a small framework I expect to use going forward, and a stop at suburbsurge extended that framework, content that produces transferable mental models rather than just specific facts is content with multiplicative value and this site is providing those models at a rate that justifies extra attention from me regularly.
Now feeling slightly more optimistic about the state of independent writing online, and a stop at azuqix extended that quiet optimism, sites like this one are the reason I have not given up on the open web entirely and finding them occasionally renews the case for paying attention to non algorithmic content sources today.
Better signal to noise ratio than most places I check on this kind of topic, and a look at bagelcameo kept that going, every paragraph here carries something worth reading rather than padding out the page to hit some arbitrary length target that search engines reward but readers ignore as soon as they notice it.
Thanks for taking the time to write this, it is clear that some thought went into how each point would land, and after I went through roseharborcommercegallery I had a better grip on the topic, real value without the usual marketing noise people have to put up with online when searching for answers.
Reading this in a relaxed evening setting was a small pleasure, and a stop at cameoaspen extended the pleasant evening reading, content that fits the tone of relaxed time without becoming forgettable is what I look for in evening reading and this site has the right tone for that particular slot in my daily reading routine.
Following a few of the internal links revealed more posts of similar quality, and a stop at stereoskein added more to that growing pile, sites where internal links lead to more good content rather than to more of the same recycled material are sites with depth and this one has clearly built that depth carefully.
Now feeling confident enough in this site to use it as a reference point for evaluating others on the same topic, and a look at silkgrovecraftcollective continued the comparison friendly quality, sites that serve as quality benchmarks for their topic are precious and this one has clearly become a benchmark for me on this particular subject area.
After reading several posts back to back the consistent voice across them is impressive, and a stop at sonarsandal continued that voice consistency, sites that maintain a single coherent voice across many pieces by potentially many writers represent serious editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed the institutional consistency needed for that.
Liked that the post landed without needing to manufacture controversy or take a contrarian stance for attention, and a stop at stylishgoodscorner continued that grounded approach, content that earns attention through quality rather than provocation is the kind that builds long term trust rather than burning it on quick wins.