Strange Tales from Liaozhai--Volume 4

by Pu Songling

  The next day he came again to see her, once more buying something at a high price. As soon as he’d walked just a few steps away, the girl ran out to him, calling, “Come back! I was wrong; the price I gave you was too high.” As a result, she returned to him half of what he’d paid. Liu was even more attracted by her honesty, so he found every opportunity to visit the shop, henceforth becoming a familiar face.

  “Where do you live, sir?” she asked him one day. He replied by introducing himself. Then he took his turn at asking about her, and she answered him, “My surname is Yao.” As he was about to leave with some things he’d picked up in the marketplace, the girl took some paper and wrapped everything up perfectly, afterwards licking the edge of the paper with her tongue to make it stick together.

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  Haizhou . . . Gaizhou: Both are now counties in Liaoning province.

  Liu took his parcel back home, and didn’t dare move it even a little, fearing that he might damage the mark that her tongue had made upon it. After about two weeks, a servant who’d spied him doing this, privately suggested to Liu’s uncle that he should send him home to Haizhou. Liu Zigu was quite unhappy and disconsolate about the decision.

  Liu then took the incense, kerchiefs, and various cosmetics that he’d purchased in the shop, placed them in a small case, and when there was no one around, he’d open it and check the items, one by one, unable to stop thinking about the girl.

  The following year, Liu returned once again to Gaizhou, and as soon as he’d unpacked his baggage, he hurried to the shop where he’d met the girl; but when he arrived, the shop was all closed up, and so, disappointed, he prepared to make his way back. Yet he reasoned that there was a chance that she might step outside at some point, so he determined to pay her another visit, but discovered the door shut again.

  When he made inquiries of all the shop’s neighbors, he learned that the owner, Yao, was originally from Guangning, and since the shop’s business hadn’t been growing, he’d closed it up temporarily and gone home; moreover, no one seemed to know when he might come back. Liu was depressed by this frustration of his plans. He stayed in the area for several days, and then, disgruntled, returned to Haizhou.

  His mother discussed with him the subject of his getting married, but Liu Zigu rejected her suggestions again and again, which she found both strange and annoying. When the servant who’d known the reason for his responses informed Liu’s mother, she became even more concerned on her son’s account, and accordingly had him kept away from the road leading to Gaizhou.

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  Guangning: Originally a county name, now called Beizhen county in Liaoning province.

  Liu became restless, consequently sleeping and eating less. His mother was worried about him, but had no solution, realizing that she didn’t know how to help him achieve his desire. Hence she set a tentative date for a wedding, and accordingly sent someone to convey word to Liu’s uncle to set up a marriage negotiation for him. His uncle reported then that he would go to pay his respects to the Yaos.

  After a certain period of time, he returned and told Liu, “We’ve couldn’t come to an agreement on the matter! A-Xiu’s already betrothed to someone in Guangning.” Liu hung his head, disheartened, and began pacing restlessly, thinking of his feelings for the girl, hoping that somewhere there’d be someone else like her.

  It happened that a matchmaker arrived, speaking highly of a daughter of the Huang family, in Fuzhou. Liu was worried that the descriptions might be untrue, so he had a carriage prepared and left for Fuzhou. When he entered the western gate, he saw a home on the north side with two of its doors halfway open, and inside there was a young lady who looked strangely like A-Xiu; he stared at her again, hoping it was her as he approached, and once he was close enough, he could truly tell that he wasn’t mistaken.

  Liu was powerfully moved, so he arranged to rent the residence of the neighbor to the east, and carefully questioning him, he learned that the girl was a member of the Li family. He experienced recurring doubts; in the whole world, could there really be another person who so closely resembled A-Xiu? He lived there for several days without being able to make contact with her, merely waiting for her appearance while standing at her gate, hoping that maybe she’d come out.

  One day, as the sun was setting in the west, the woman finally came outside. Suddenly she saw Liu, and after approaching him, she ran back to the house, pointing with her hand behind it, then she slapped her forehead and went inside. Liu was very happy, but he couldn’t understand what she was trying to communicate to him.

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  Fuzhou: Part of modern Fu county, in Liaoning province.

  Lost in thought for awhile, he strolled aimlessly till he found himself behind the house, where he observed a quiet, abandoned garden, with a short wall on the west side, about shoulder height, and in generally acceptable condition. All of a sudden he comprehended what she’d been trying to tell him, so he crouched and hid in the grass.

  After a long time, someone raised her head above the wall, and said in a small voice, “Have you come?” Liu assured her he had, standing up, and when he looked at her carefully, he verified it was truly A-Xiu. Since he’d been so frightened of losing her, lines of tears ran down his face.

  The woman stood in front of him and reached out with a cloth to wipe away his tears, comforting him affectionately. “All of my plans had come to nothing,” Liu said to her, “and I’d certainly declared this life finished for me, but how could I have known that contrary to expectations, this night would come? How is it, then, you happen to be here?”

  “The Li family lives here, and he’s my uncle,” she replied. Liu invited her to come over the wall. She told him, “You go home first, then send your servant to lodge somewhere else, and I’ll come over.” Liu did as she said, and sat waiting for her.

  In a little while, the woman quietly entered, not attractively made up, and wearing the same robe and pants he’d seen before. Liu pulled her down to sit next to him, and told her how much he’d suffered from missing her, then said, “You’re already betrothed, so why haven’t you gone through with the marriage ceremony?”

  “Saying that I’ve accepted a betrothal is absurd,” she replied. “My family sent me away, being unwilling for me to marry you, and this perhaps explains the deceptive response of your uncle, since they wanted to put an end to your desire for me.” Then they retired to Liu’s bed, where it looked like they were twisted around each other as they happily made love, and there’s just no other way to describe it.

  At the fourth watch, the woman suddenly got up, climbed over the wall, and left. Liu, naturally, was no longer looking to find the Huang family. He began traveling away from the house where he’d been staying, but wouldn’t immediately return, so a month might pass before he came back.

  One night, when Liu’s servant got up to feed his horse, he noticed that there was still a lamp lit in the house; when he went to take a look, he saw A-Xiu, and was quite startled, but didn’t dare ask his master about her. In the morning, he rose and made inquiries at the shops in the marketplace, then finally returned and asked Liu, “Last night, who was that woman who came and went?” Liu refused to say anything on the subject. The servant told him, “Since this is a lonely residence, foxes and ghosts gather here, so you should watch out for yourself. Why did the Yao family’s daughter come here?”

  Liu started to blush as he replied, “The neighbor on the west is her uncle, so what are you worried about preventing?”

  “I’ve already made some inquiries, looking into it: the only neighbor to the east is an old woman all alone, and the family to the west has a son who’s still young, but no other close relatives. You’ve been mistakenly meeting with a ghost or demon; otherwise, why would she be wearing clothing that’s years out of date, and not think it unusual? What’s more, her complexion is exceedingly pale, while her cheeks are so sunken that her smile makes
not even the smallest dimples—plus, she’s not quite as beautiful as A-Xiu.”

  Liu turned this over in his thoughts, and then, quite shaken, demanded, “But what can I do about her?” The servant planned to wait for her arrival, and then to attack her with a weapon.

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  Fourth watch: This fourth of the five traditional two-hour divisions of the night spans approximately 1:00-3:00 a.m.

  At sunset, the girl arrived, and told Liu, “I know that you’re suspicious of what you’ve seen, yet I’m doing nothing unusual but fulfilling our destiny.” Before she’d finished speaking, the servant rushed in as he’d arranged. The girl scornfully cried, “You can forget about the weapon! Prepare the wine as quickly as possible, so I can make my farewell to your master.” When the servant went to fling himself at her, it was as if someone was holding him back.

  Liu felt even more frightened, so he quickly had wine and food set out. The girl proceeded to chat and joke as usual, then raised her hand towards Liu and declared, “Why was it your intention to pull a weapon on me, when I’ve made every effort to resemble her? Even though I’m not A-Xiu, I certainly wouldn’t say I’m her inferior—when you examine me closely, isn’t this the way she used to look?” Liu’s hair stood on end as he trembled without saying a word.

  The girl listened to the clock tick three times, then raised a small cup, took a sip, and stood up to say, “I’m leaving for the time being, so wait until you marry a new wife, and then we’ll compare to see who’s better.” Subsequently she turned away and vanished.

  Liu believed the words of this fox, and hence he went to Gaizhou. He was angry that his uncle had lied to him, and didn’t return home to his family; he lived near the Yaos, hiring a matchmaker to communicate his intentions to them, and to provide generous betrothal gifts to gain the family’s support. Yao’s wife said in response, “My brother-in-law found a match for us in Guangning, and my husband went there to pursue it. But whether he made any progress there is unknown, so we’ll wait for a few more days.”

  When Liu heard about this, he began pacing nervously, as though he was unable to take control of his own fate, and could do little but wait for the father to return. More than ten days passed, when suddenly he heard news that military troops were being dispatched to the area, and he hesitated to react, since it might be a false rumor; after some time, the evidence supporting this became more urgent, so Liu decided to pack up and leave.

  He ran into chaos on the road, becoming separated from his servant, and as soon as this was detected, there was an attempt to rob him. They took Liu to be gentle and meek, but when he defended himself, the would-be thieves scattered and fled on horseback.

  As Liu arrived at the outskirts of Haizhou, he saw a woman there, disheveled and filthy, who stumbled and fell down, unable to go any further. As he galloped over to her, she quickly cried out, “The gentleman on the horse—aren’t you Master Liu?”

  Liu stopped to look closely at her, realizing it was A-Xiu. Like before, he thought she might just be another fox, so he asked her, “Are you truly A-Xiu?”

  “Why would you say that?” she asked. Liu then described what had previously happened. “I’m truly A-Xiu,” she replied. “Father brought me home to Guangning, where we ran into soldiers, and in fleeing, my horse fell down the mountain with me. Suddenly a young woman grabbed my wrist, bent on helping me escape, so we fled through the armies, where we weren’t asked any questions. Since the other woman’s powerful strides made her as swift as a falcon in flight, I couldn’t keep up, and after a hundred paces I began to slip from her grasp.

  “After a long while, we gradually began to hear a hoarse wailing in the distance, then she loosened her grip and cried, ‘Goodbye! It’s all a level roadway now, so you can slow your pace, and when someone who likes you appears soon, you can go together with him.”

  Liu realized that it was the fox who had done this, and he felt moved by her gesture. He consequently explained how he’d been delayed in Gaizhou. A-Xiu told him her uncle had chosen a prospective son-in-law from the Fang family, but before she could marry him, the military chaos had begun. Liu finally understood the truth of his uncle’s comment that A-Xiu couldn’t marry him.

  He helped A-Xiu up on his horse, and they rode home together. When they entered his gate, they were overjoyed to find his aged mother in good health. Liu tied up the horse and they entered the house, discovering everything to be the way it was before. Liu’s mother was equally glad to see them, and after A-Xiu took a bath and put on some make-up, she was radiantly attractive.

  Liu’s mother patted her hand affectionately and told her, “It’s no wonder my son’s so infatuated that he can’t stop dreaming about you!” She subsequently had a mattress set out, and made A-Xiu rest there with her.

  Then she dispatched a servant to Gaizhou, to deliver a letter to the Yaos. In just a few days, both Yao and his wife arrived to determine an auspicious day for the wedding ceremony to be celebrated, then after the ceremony had been conducted, they departed.

  Liu took out the small case that he’d hidden away, noting that its seal remained unbroken. There was some kind of powder caked on it, and when he opened it up, he discovered its contents had turned into dry earth. Liu found that very strange. A-Xiu then put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, and declared, “You were robbed a few years ago, but now you’ve finally detected it. That day I saw you, you didn’t even care about what I was packing for you while you were shopping, so I deliberately put in some red dirt for fun, to fool you.”

  While they laughed together about it, a woman pulled aside the room curtain and entered to ask, “Since you’re so elated, are you going to thank the matchmaker properly?” Liu took a look at her and discovered another A-Xiu, so he quickly called for his mother. His mother gathered all of the servants, but none of them could tell the two women apart.

  Liu turned his eyes back to the women, and he, too, felt uncertain; but he fixed his eyes briefly on them, then began bowing respectfully, offering his thanks. The woman obtained a mirror and looked at herself, which made her blush in shame and rush outside, where Liu and A-Xiu went to search for her, but to no avail. The couple felt grateful for what she’d done for them, so they set a place for her in the room, and offered sacrifices in gratitude.

  One night, when Liu returned home drunk, there was no one in the darkened house, so he planned to light a lantern for himself, but then A-Xiu arrived. Liu pulled her aside and asked, “Where is everybody?”

  “When you’re stinking drunk,” she laughed in reply, “it offends everyone’s nose, and no one can stand it! And who’d want to risk scaring off a lover with this kind of cross-examination?” Liu laughed, too, putting his hands on her cheeks. “If you were to see me next to that female fox, who would you choose?” she asked.

  “No one compares to you,” he replied. “However, in terms of external appearance, I couldn’t tell you apart.” Then he shut the door and they made love.

  Presently there was a knock at the door, so his beloved stood up with a laugh and said, “Here’s your chance to judge external appearance.” Liu didn’t understand, and when he hurried to open the door, to his utter astonishment, A-Xiu walked in. He began to recognize that the woman he’d been talking to must have been the fox.

  In the darkness, they heard the sound of her laughter. The couple gazed in her direction and pleaded, imploring her to reveal her true appearance. The fox declared, “I don’t wish to be seen as A-Xiu.”

  “Then why not change into some other aspect?” asked Liu.

  “I can’t,” the fox replied.

  “Why not?”

  “A-Xiu’s my younger sister,” she explained, “and in a previous existence she was unlucky enough to die quite young. At the time she was reborn, she happened to follow our mother to the heavenly palace, where she saw the Queen Mother of the West, and felt a great admiration for her, and upon returning home, sedulously worked to imitate her. My younger
sister’s intelligence exceeded mine, and in a month’s time it became almost godlike; I studied for three months and became accomplished after that, but in the long run I could never equal her. Now after generations, I thought I might have surpassed her, while I’m revealed instead still to be her inferior. I’ve been moved by the sincere devotion of you two, and so for a time I came to visit, but now I must leave.”

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  Queen Mother of the West: Yang and An note that this primary Daoist goddess was “originally a wild beastlike goddess (or god); the ruler of punishment, calamity, and disease; later changed into a cultivated queen, the owner of the elixir of immortality and the divine saucer peach” that conferred immortality on the individual devouring it (265).

  At that point, she ceased speaking to them. Henceforth, every three to five days she’d appear, and all their problems would then be settled. It happened that whenever the fox returned to A-Xiu’s home, she’d often come to stay with them for a few days, and the fearful servants would all avoid her.

  Each time when they lost something, she’d sit there formally, wearing colorful apparel and a tortoise shell hairpin several cun long, and then she’d summon the family servants and explain to them seriously, “If you steal anything, at night I’ll be coming to make sure it’s returned; if it’s not, I’ll see that you get a nasty headache that you’ll regret a lot!” By the next morning, then, anything that had been taken would’ve been returned.

  Three years later, she stopped visiting, and didn’t come again. It happened that when Liu and A-Xiu occasionally discovered that they were missing some money and silk, A-Xiu would pretend to dress up as her sister, intimidating the servants into returning them, which always had the desired effect.

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  Cun: A measure equal to 1/3 decimeter.

  287. Scarred-Eye Yang

  One night, a hunter who was hiding in wait in the mountains happened to see a little man, who’d only grown to a height of two chi, walking alone through a ravine. A short while later, another man arrived, who was about the same height. As he encountered the first man, he asked where him where he was going.