Strange Tales from Liaozhai--Volume 2 Read online

  When the girl was told that Zhang had failed to keep his appointment, she cried and refused to eat. Her mother said, “The gentleman hasn’t come, so he must have passed away; and even if that’s not the case, he’s guilty of breaking his promise and hence you have nothing to be blamed for.” The girl said nothing, but spent all day in bed.

  Lu was worried about her, and thought about taking a look at Zhang, so he pretended to take a stroll outside town till he came across Zhang. When he saw that Zhang was a young man, he was amazed. Drawing him out with a bit of conversation, he found Zhang very open and easy-going. Lu was delighted, so he invited Zhang to come home with him.

  Just as Zhang was about to ask Lu about himself, the official hastily walked up to his door, begging his guest to have a seat by himself for a few moments, then hurried inside to tell his daughter. The girl, overjoyed, managed to get up out of bed by herself. She peeked out to check on him, but found that his appearance didn’t fit with his age, began to cry, and returned, complaining that her father had deceived her. Lu swore that it was Zhang. The girl said nothing and wouldn’t stop weeping.

  Lu went back outside, feeling dejected, and informed his guest that the situation had changed and he could no longer invite him to stay. “Is this how the noble Minister of Revenue keeps his promises?” asked Zhang.

  Lu answered him casually. Then he turned his head away and looked around, serving to show that Zhang was no longer his guest. Zhang understood Lu’s meaning, took his leave and departed.

  The girl wept pitifully for several days and then died. That night, Zhang dreamt that the girl came to him and said, “Was the man I saw that day really you? Your age and looks are strangely at odds, but if we’d seen each other, we’d have been inseparable. I was so distraught afterwards that I died. I must trouble you to go to our local ancestral temple to call my spirit back; if you can, you must save me now because if you delay, it’ll be too late.”

  He awakened immediately and rushed to the Lu family’s gate, learning that their daughter had been dead for two days. Grief-stricken, Zhang proceeded to the room set up as a memorial for her. Then he described what he had dreamt to Lu.

  Lu followed his instructions, calling her spirit to come back from the temple and return home. He undid her burial clothes and began to massage her corpse, reciting blessings for her.

  Instantly he heard the sound of coughing come from her throat. Then he suddenly saw her mouth open and out came lumps of phlegm that were as cold as ice. He removed her to a bed and gradually she resumed breathing and could utter a few words.

  Master Lu was euphoric and solicitously led Zhang outside, where he put on a feast for him. As he pursued a detailed inquiry into Zhang’s rank and background and learned that he was from an esteemed family, he grew even happier. Then they picked an auspicious day for the marriage ceremony.

  Zhang stayed there for half a month, then took his bride home. Lu accompanied them to their house, stayed with them for six months, and then left. Husband and wife lived together like young newlyweds, and people who didn’t know them often mistook their sons and daughters-in-law for their parents-in-law.

  Master Lu died the next year. At that time, Lu’s son, too young to defend himself, was ruined by a local despot, who reduced his family possessions to nothing. Zhang welcomed him into his own home and treated him as one of his own family members.

  85. The Daoist Priest

  Scholar Han, who came from an affluent and influential family, loved to invite visitors to his home. In his village, there was a man named Xu, who often came to drink at his place. Once, when they were having a dinner party together, a Daoist priest came to his gate, begging for alms. Han’s servant tossed him some money and corn, but he wouldn’t accept it; nor would he go away. The servant became angry and went back inside without turning back to look at him.

  Han heard a pounding at the door for some time, then asked who it was, and his servant described the situation. But before he’d finished explaining, the Daoist had actually entered, so Han invited him to have a seat. The Daoist just raised his hands to the host and guests casually, then sat down at once. Han briefly asked him about himself, and hence found out that the priest was living east of the village in an abandoned temple. “I wasn’t informed that you had settled into that temple,” said Han, “I’ve been quite remiss in a host’s courtesy.”

  The Daoist replied, “I’m a rough country fellow just recently arrived. I haven’t made friends here. I heard that you were a generous scholar, and I would greatly like to ask you for a drink.” Han ordered a cup to be brought for him. The Daoist proved able to drink a prodigious amount. Xu looked at the priest’s dirty, ragged clothes, became quite disdainful, and wasn’t very courteous to him. Han also treated him as a common traveler. The Daoist drained more than twenty cups of wine, then took his leave and went on his way.

  From then on, any time Han gave a dinner party, the Daoist was sure to show up, eating when he saw food and drinking when he found wine, while Han, meanwhile, became rather vexed with his frequent presence. One time when they were drinking, Xu mocked the priest by saying, “You’re always ready to be the guest, so why don’t you ever serve as the host once in awhile?”

  The priest grinned and replied, “I’m just like you—a pair of shoulders holding up a mouth.” Xu, ashamed, found himself unable to reply. The Daoist remarked, “Nevertheless, I’ve been sincerely thinking about my gratitude to you for a long time, so I’ll do my utmost to make it up to you with cups of my poor wine.” He drank his fill, then declared, “At noon tomorrow, I hope you’ll favor me with your company.”

  The next day, Han and Xu met and went to the temple together, doubtful that the Daoist would be able to entertain them. While they were on their way, the Daoist had stopped to wait for them; then they all chatted as they walked until they reached the temple gate. As they entered it, the courtyard appeared completely renovated, with tall, elegant pavilions now attached. Amazed, Han said, “It’s been a long time since we came here—when was the construction done?”

  The priest replied, “The work was completed not long ago.” He gestured for them to enter his room, where the furnishings were more magnificent than even an aristocratic family could afford. The two men were immediately awestruck. As soon as they were seated, they were brought wine and food by handsome sixteen-yearold boys wearing brocade clothing and red shoes. The wine and food were aromatic and delicious, abundantly and extravagantly prepared.

  When the meal was over, additional desserts were brought in. There were many fruit delicacies that they couldn’t even name, all displayed in crystal or jade vessels that lit up the table and seats. The wine was poured into glass cups with rims almost a chi in circumference. The Daoist said, “Call for the Shi sisters to come.”

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  Chi: One chi equals approximately 1/3 of a meter.

  A boy left and a moment later, two beauties walked in. One was tall and slender as a young willow, the other short and considerably younger; the pair were incomparably lovely. The Daoist then directed them to sing, to encourage his guests to drink more. The younger girl beat the rhythm and sang while the older one played the xiao, their sounds pristine and delicate. Each time they finished a song, the priest would solicitously urge the others to drain their cups, then he’d order the girls to fill them again. He turned around and asked the beauties, “It’s been a long time since you danced, so can you still do it?”

  Then the servants rolled out a carpet beneath the hall’s roof and the two girls danced, their long garments whipping about briskly while their fragrant scent filled the room; when they were finished dancing, they rested against a painted screen. The two men were enraptured and unwittingly became drunk.

  The Daoist raised his cup and drained it, then without looking at his guests, stood up and declared, “For now, I’ll trouble you to help yourselves to the wine—I’ll take a little rest and come right back.” Then he walked away.


  Next to the wall on the south side of the room was a bed with mother-of-pearl inlay, upon which the girls laid a brocade mattress before helping the priest to lay down. The Daoist then pulled the older girl onto the bed to sleep with him and ordered the younger girl to stand by the bed in case he needed to have an itch scratched.

  Han and Xu saw all this and became indignant. Xu then cried, “A priest can’t do that kind of rude stuff!” He ran over to stop the Daoist. The priest quickly jumped up and fled. When Xu saw the younger girl standing by the bed, he used the excuse of his drunkenness to drag her over to a bed on the opposite side of the room, brazenly embracing her as he lay down.

  Xu glanced over at the older girl, still reclining on the brocade mattress. He turned to Han and exclaimed, “Why’re you being so restrained?”

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  Xiao: This variety of flute is played vertically.

  Han then went straight over and climbed onto the bed; he wanted to make love to the girl, but she was already asleep and though he nudged her, she didn’t respond. Hence he put his arms around her and went to sleep.

  At dawn, he awoke sober and felt his chest touching something icy cold; he looked and saw that he was hugging a long stone at the bottom of some dark steps. He quickly searched for Xu, who was still asleep; he found Xu resting his head on a stone ordinarily reserved for stepping on while relieving oneself, sleeping it off in a foul latrine.

  Han kicked him till he got up and both were astonished. They looked around, discovering the courtyard overgrown with weeds, two run-down huts—and that was all.

  86. The Hu Clan

  In Zhili, a prominent family was looking to hire a teacher. A xiucai suddenly showed up at their gate and recommended himself. The master of the house invited him in. The scholar’s words were open-minded and frank, so he and his host got along quite well together. Once the xiucai had identified his family name as Hu, the master advanced him his fee and arranged for him to live with them.

  Hu was very diligent in his teaching and grading, and was far more learned than other scholars. Yet at times he would venture out and return home late at night; though the doors were bolted shut and no one heard him knock for them to open the door, he was always able to get back into his room. Consequently they knew that he was a fox. But when they watched him carefully, they confirmed that he wasn’t evil and treated him generously once again as an outstanding individual, maintaining their manner despite his strange identity.

  Hu knew that his host had a daughter, so he let on that he’d love to marry her, and though he repeatedly indicated his interest, his host pretended not to notice. One day, Hu took a brief leave from his work and left.

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  The Hu Clan: Pu is punning with homonyms here: the characters for the surname Hu (胡) and for fox (狐) are pronounced with the same (a second, or rising) tone.

  Xiucai: The rank of a scholar who’s passed the county level imperial civil service examination.

  The next day, a visitor arrived and tied up his black donkey at the gate. The master welcomed him, and then they went inside. The guest was over fifty, his clothing and shoes fresh and clean, his manner calm and refined. Once they were seated, the visitor explained that his reason for coming was to deliver Hu’s proposal of marriage.

  The host was silent, then after a very long time, said, “Mr. Hu and I are already friends, so what’s the need of marrying into the family? At any rate, my daughter’s already engaged to someone. Please express my regrets to Mr. Hu.”

  The visitor replied, “We know for a fact that your daughter is available, so why reject the proposal this way?” Over and over again he persisted, but the host was resolute. With an embarrassed look, the visitor exclaimed, “Mr. Hu is also from a prominent family, so why do you worry that he’s not qualified to become your son-in-law?”

  The host told him straight out, “To be honest, that’s not the problem—my only fear is that he’s not of the same species that we are.” The visitor heard this and grew angry; the host also became infuriated, and their disagreement escalated with increasing hostility.

  The visitor stood up and seized the host. The host then ordered his servants to take sticks and chase him away, so the visitor ran off.

  He left behind his donkey, so they examined it, finding it to be a large creature with black hair, pointed ears, and long tail. They tugged at it but it wouldn’t budge, and when they tried to force it to move, it immediately fell down, chirping, and became a grasshopper.

  Because of his visitor’s angry words, the host knew that they would certainly seek revenge on his family, so he warned everyone to be ready for anything. As a result, fox soldiers arrived the next day, some as cavalry and some on foot, some bearing spears, some crossbows, the horses neighing and the soldiers roaring, an intimidating exhibition of power. The host didn’t dare venture out. The foxes cried out for his house to be burned, and the host became even more frightened.

  One particularly vigorous family servant commanded his fellows to make a raucous charge against the foxes, lobbing stones and firing arrows, with both sides taking damage and suffering losses. The foxes were gradually fended off and retreated one after the other. They left their swords behind on the ground, shining like frost on snow; but when the servants drew near and picked them up, they became sorghum leaves. They laughed and said, “This is all their tricks can do.” Even so, they were afraid that the foxes might come back, so they accelerated their preparations just in case.

  The next day, as the servants gathered to discuss things, a giant suddenly dropped out of the sky: it was more than a zhang tall, its body several chi wide; it waved a sword as big as a door while it chased and struck down people. The servants launched volleys of arrows and stones that struck it till it fell, stiff and dead, and they discovered it to be just a paper figure like those used in funerals. Thus the servants became more relaxed towards the foxes.

  The foxes didn’t return for three days, so the servants let down their guard. The host was just walking to an outhouse, when all of a sudden the fox soldiers appeared, firing arrows wildly as they came; one of them hit him in the buttocks. Terribly frightened, he anxiously cried for his servants, and as they rushed out to fight, the foxes ran away. When they plucked the arrow out of the host, they found that it was just a wormwood stalk. It was like this for more than a month, with the foxes making sporadic sallies, and though the foxes couldn’t cause serious injuries, the host’s family still had to remain on guard every day, which distressed the host.

  One day, Hu was leading his army against the house. When the host rushed outside, he spotted Hu. The host called for him so insistently that Hu had no choice but to answer him, stepping out from the crowd. “Upon reflection, I believe I’ve never treated you illmanneredly,” declared the host, “so why have you mobilized these soldiers against me?” The troop of foxes wanted to shoot their arrows at him, but Hu prevented them.

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  Zhang: This is a measure approximately equal to 3.33 meters. Chi: A length of approximately 1/3 meter.

  The host approached and took Hu by the hand, urging him to enter his house, and had wine set out so they could enjoy themselves. Calmly the host said, “You’re a wise individual, so I hope we can forgive each other. Thinking over our warm friendship, how could I not be overjoyed to have you marry into my family? But your carriages and horses, your homes, they’re not at all like those used by people, so if my daughter lived together with you, you must know it simply could never go well. As the proverb says, ‘There are melons and fruits that can be picked, but people cannot eat them unless they’re cooked.’ Why persist in your choice?” Hu was quite ashamed. “It doesn’t matter,” the host said, “our old friendship is intact. If you haven’t completely rejected us human beings, I’d like to suggest that your pupil, my fifteen-year-old son, be married into your family as your brother-in-law. Don’t you have some proper match for him in you
r family?”

  Hu joyfully replied, “I have a little sister who’s a year younger than your son, and really quite attractive. What about offering her as his wife?”

  The host stood to bow respectfully, and Hu replied with his own bow. Thereupon they toasted each other quite merrily, their former strife entirely forgotten. The host ordered more wine brought out, feasted the fox with food, and absolutely everyone was satisfied.

  Then the host inquired in detail about Hu’s hometown since he wanted to send his family a gift for setting up the marriage agreement. Hu declined it, however. The lights burned late into the evening until, quite drunk, the fox took his leave. The result of all of this was peace.

  More than a year passed, but Hu didn’t show up. Some people suspected that he’d forgotten the marriage agreement, but the host waited faithfully for him. Six months more went by, then Hu suddenly arrived. He exchanged greetings with the host, then said, “My little sister has grown up. Please select an auspicious date for the wedding so we can send for her here and serve you and your wife as our parents-in-law.”

  The host was very pleased, so they promptly set a date together, and then Hu departed. When night arrived, a horse and carriage appeared as had been agreed, delivering the bride. She had a sumptuous trousseau which utterly filled the room in which it was placed. When the bride was spotted by her husband’s parents, they thought her extraordinarily gentle and beautiful. The host was overjoyed.

  Hu and his younger brother came together to accompany the bride, both gentlemen proving to be skilled conversationalists and enthusiastic drinkers. When the next day came, the Hu’s left. The bride was able to foretell when the year’s crops would be abundant or would fail, so the family’s decisions about their livelihood all depended upon the bride’s judgments. Hu, his younger brother, and their old mother sometimes came to visit the girl, and everyone saw them appear at those times.