Once upon a time, there was a cowherd named Niulang and a weaver girl named Zhinu. They both lived in the celestial world but were forbidden to fall in love due to their different social statuses.

One day, they met on the banks of the Silver River and fell deeply in love. They got married and had two children. However, the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens found out about their relationship and separated them, placing the Milky Way between them.

Niulang was heartbroken and missed his wife and children deeply. He was visited by a magical ox who gave him a pair of shoes that could carry him across the Milky Way. He reunited with Zhinu and they were overjoyed to be together again.

However, the Queen Mother found out and was furious. She ordered the Heavenly Guards to capture Zhinu and bring her back to the celestial world. Niulang was devastated and tried to follow her, but the Heavenly Guards separated them once again.

In the end, the Queen Mother was moved by their love and allowed them to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. On this day, magpies would form a bridge over the Milky Way so they could be together again.

And so, the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl has been passed down through generations. Even now, people celebrate the Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine's Day, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month to commemorate their love story.