An Anthology of

Chinese Literature

BEGINNINGS TO 19 11

Edited and Translated by

Stephen Owen

I .. Ir.:. RTON & COMPANY ORK • LON DON

/- J – I

‘ ‘ I 1 ( -/

Copyright© 1996 by Stephen Owen and The Council for Cu ltural Planning and Development of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China

Jacket art: “The Nymph of the Lo River” by Wei Chiu-ting is reproduced with the permission of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Since this page cannot legibly accommodate all the copyright notices, pages 11 65 constitute an extension of the copyright page.

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

The text of th is book is composed in Sabon

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

An antho logy of Chir:iese literat~~e : beginn’in~~ ‘to.~ 91 ·;·~··ed i.,and translated by Ste~hen Owen. . .. , ~ .,~~ .

p. cm. ~ ·. ” Translations from Chinese. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-393-03823-8 1. Chinese literature- Translations into English. I. Owen,

Stephen. Pl 2658.El A814 1996 895.1 ’08-dc20 95-11409

W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue., New York, N.Y. 101 10 http://web.wwnorton.com … r~ . ·:. > W.W. Norton & Company Ltd., 10 Coptic Street, ~ondon WClA 1 e.u > ,,•·’:.:··”:.

Contents

Peeking at the Bathers (XXI) 1028 Secret P ledge (XXII) 1033 Jade Bu rial (XXV) 1041 Gift of a Meal (XXVI) 1048 Denouncing the Rebel (XXVIII) 1054 Bells (XXIX) 1059 Stocking-Viewing (XXXVI) 1063 The Corpse Released (XXXVII) 1067 Ballad (XXXVIII) 1076 The lmmortal’s Recollections (XL) 1087 Reunion (L) 1091

Pu Song-l ing (1640-1715), Liao-zhai’s Record of Wonders lJ03 Lian-xiang 1103 X iao-cui 1113 Blue Maid 1120

Qing Classical Poetry and Song Lyric 1128 Gu Yan-wu (1613-1 682) 1129

Autumn Hi lls (fi rst of two) 1130

Wu Wei-ye (1609-1671) 1130 Escaping the Fighting (fifth of six) 1131 Escaping the Fighting (last of six) 1131 A Lament for My Daughter (first of three) 1132 West F ields (first of four) l 133 M ooring in the Evening 1133 from Thoughts Stirred on Meeting the Gardener of the Roya l

Academy in Nanj ing 1 l34

Wang Sh i-zhen (1634-1711 ) 11 35 Crossing the Ancient Barrier Pass in the Rain ( 1672) 1135 On the Ba River Bridge: Sent Home co My W ife (second

of two) 1135 Farm H ome by Cu-lai Mounta in 1136 O n the Qing-yang Road 1136 What I Saw on the Northern Outskins of Zhen-zhou 1136 At Daybreak I Crossed the Ping-jiang River and Climbed on

Foot co the Summit of Crossing-Above-Clouds Mountain 1136

Nara Singde (1655-1685) 1137 to “Like a Dream” (Ru meng ling) 1137 to “Clea r and Even Music” (Qing-ping yue) l 137 to “Seeking Fragrant Plants” (Xun fang-cao), Accou nt of a

Dream in Xiao Temple 1138 co “Golden Threads” (]in-Iii qu), Thoughts on the Anniversary

of My Wife’s Death 1138

XXXlll

The Qing Dynasty

who have such a human body always use it in such a way that they come to shamefulness that makes them in life inferior to the fox, and in simply van- ishing away their death is inferior to the ghost.

Xiao-cui

Wang, the Grand Chamberlain of Ceremonials, was a native of Yue. When he was sti ll a boy, he was napping, when all of a sudden the sky grew dark and there was a mighty clap of thunder. An animal larger than a cat came and hid under his body, squirming and refusing to go. After a while the sky cleared up, and the animal immediately went straight out. When Wang looked closely and saw that it was not a cat, he grew frightened and called to his big brother in the other room. His brother heard him and said cheer- fully, “Well, brother, you’re going to reach a very exalted position-this was a fox that came to you to escape being destroyed by thunder and lightning.”

Afterward the young man did indeed pass the metropolitan examination at a young age, and he rose from the post of county magistrate to become a Censor. He had one son whose name was Yuan-feng, a simpleton who at the age of sixteen didn’t know the difference between male and female. As a result, no one of his own class was willing to marry their daughters to him. Wang was worried about him.

It happened that a woman brought a girl to his gate and requested that she be made Yuan-feng’s wife. When Wang looked the girl over, she smiled in the most fetching manner-she was a beauty of the highest order. De- lighted, he asked the name, and the woman said, “Our fami ly is named Yu, and my daughter is Xiao-cui. She’s sixteen.” He then discussed the question of price with her, and she said, “With me she has eaten rough fare and has never been able to eat her fill. Now in a single day she will find herself liv- ing in spacious apartments, waited on by servants, and having all the meat and fine rice she can eat. If she is content, then my own wishes are satisfied. I’m not going to haggle over a price for her as if I were selling vegetables!”

Wang’s wife was very pleased and rewarded the woman generously. Then the woman bade her daughter bow to Wang and his wife and instructed her: “These are to be your parents. You should serve them conscientiously. I’m very busy and am going away for a while. I’ll be back in a few days.” Wang ordered his servant to hitch up the carriage to see her home, but the woman said, “I don’t live far from here, and I don’t want to be a bother.” Then she went out the gate. Xiao-cui didn’t seem tO miss her at all, but at once went to the dressing table and began to play around with various ways of making herself up. Wang’s wife doted on her.

After several days, the mother did not return. They asked Xiao-cui where she lived, but she seemed befuddled and couldn’t tell them the way. Conse- quently they set up separate apartments, and had her formally married to Yuan-feng. When the relatives heard that the Wangs had picked up a poor girl as Yuan-feng’s bride, they all made fun of them; but when they saw the girl, everyone was amazed, and the gossip quieted down.

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Anthology of Chinese Literature

Xiao-cui was also very clever and could see what pleased and angered her in-laws. For their part, Wang and his wife were fond of the girl far be- yond an ordinary affection, and they were apprehensive lest she dislike their son for his simple-mindedness. But Xiao-cui was very good-natured, and did- n’t despise him for it at all. Instead she enjoyed having a good time; she sewed a piece of cloth into a round ball and then kicked it about for fun. Wearing leather shoes, she could kick it twenty or thirty paces, then inveigle Yuan- feng to run after it and pick it up for her. Yuan-feng and the maids were al- ways going one after another, running with sweat.

One day Wang Senior happened to be passing by. With a thunk the ball came flying and hit him square in the face . Xiao-cui and the maids all made themselves scarce, but Yuan-feng continued to leap up and down as he ran to get it. Wang Senior was angry and threw a rock at him, whereupon the boy collapsed to the ground, crying. Wang Senior informed his wife about this, and she went to reprimand the girl. Xiao-cui lowered her head with a faint smile, whi le digging her hands into the bed. Once Mrs. Wang had left, she went back to her old pranks. Using powder and paint, she made up Yuan-feng’s face to look like a ghost. When Mrs. Wang saw this, she grew furious and shouted insults at the girl. Xiao-cui just leaned against a table and fiddled with her sash, not frightened but also not saying anything. Mrs. Wang couldn’t stand it any more and took a cane to her son. When Yuan- feng started yelling, the gir l’s expression changed and she bent her knees to beg Mrs. Wang to show mercy. Mrs. Wang’s rage abruptly left her; she let go of the cane and left.

Smiling, Xiao-cui then pulled Yuan-feng into a room, where she brushed the dust off his clothes, wiped the tears from his eyes, rubbed the welts where he had been beaten, and fed him dates and chestnuts. Yuan-feng stopped crying and cheered up. Xiao-cui then shut the gate of the courtyard and again dressed Yuan-feng up, this time as the Overlord Xiang Yu and then as the Khan of the desert. 1 She for her own part put on fine clothes, tied her waist tight, and did the swaying dance of Yu in the commander’s tent. 2 Then she would stick the tail feather of a pheasant in her piled hair, and strum the mandolin in a continuous flood of notes.3 They did this every day, laughing and making an uproar in the room. Since Wang Senior thought his son was a simpleton, he couldn’t bring himself ro scold his son’s wife too harshly. When he heard a bit of what was going on, he seemed to dismiss the mat- ter.

On the same street about a dozen doors down there was another Mr. Wang, a Supervisory Censor, and the two Wangs couldn’t stand one another.

‘Here and with the ghost make-up, Xiao-cui is probably imitating conventional theatrical costume. 1This refers to the famous scene in the Historical Records and in later theater in which Xiang Yu, the great competitor of Liu Bang for the empire after the fall of the Qin, finds himself at last sur- rounded by Han troops and holds a small feast in which he laments his fate and bids farewell to his lady Yu. 3Here Yuan-feng is playing the Khan to whom the Han court lady Wang Zhao-jun was married against her will. Xiao-cui plays Wang Zhao-jun, lamenting her fate on the mandolin.

1114

The Qing Dynasty

The triennial review of officials for promotion had just taken place, and Cen- sor Wang resented that our Mr. Wang had been given charge of the seal of the Investigator for the He-nan Circuit. Censor Wang was looking for a way to harm him. Wang Senior knew about his machinations and was very wor- ried, having no way to protect himself. One evening when he retired early, Xiao-cui put on a cap and sash and dressed herself up as the Chief Minis- ter. She cut threads of white silk to make herself a full beard and also dressed up rwo of the serving girls in blue gowns to act as her bodyguards. Then she secretly mounted herself astride one of the horses in the stable and went out, saying in play, ” I am going to pay a call on Mr. Wang.”

She ga lloped to the gate of Supervisory Censor Wang and struck her at- tendants with her riding whip, declaring loudly, “I was going to pay a call on Investigator Wang! Why should I bother to pay a ca ll on Su/Jervisory Cen- sor Wang?” Then she turned the horse around and went back home. Bur when she had almost reached the gate, the gatekeeper mistakenly took her for the real thing and rushed in to inform Wang Senior. Wang Senior hur- riedly got up to go our to welcome him. When he realiL.ed that this was a prank of his son’s wife, he was furious and said to Mrs. Wang, “Others have chastised me for my shortcomings, bur now this clown character from the women of my own household pays me a visit to announce them publicly. My downfall must nor be far off!” Mrs. Wang grew angry, rushed into Xiao- cui’s room, and yelled at her. But Xiao-cui only smi led foolishly and didn’t offer a word in her defense. Mrs. Wang would have whipped her, but she couldn’t bring himself to; she would have put her out of the house, but then she would have had no home. Both husband and wife were so upset and an- noyed that they couldn’t go to sleep a ll night long.

The Chief Minister at the time was a flamboyant figure; his behavior, his attire, and his entourage were little different from Xiao-cu i’s costume; and Supervisory Censor Wang also made the mistake of raking her for the real thing. He went to keep watch at Wang Senior’s gate that night, and when the guest had not left by midnight, he suspected that the Chief Minister and Wang Senior were hatching some secret plot. The next day when he saw Wang Senior at dawn court, he asked him, “Did His Excellency go to your house last night?” Suspecting that the Supervisory Censor was making fun of him, Wang Senior hemmed and hawed in embarrassment and didn’t re- a lly answer him. At this, Censor Wang’s suspicions were confirmed even more strongly; he laid his plots against Wang Senior to rest and from that point on tried to get into Wang Senior’s good graces. Wang Senior figured out what had been going through Censor Wang’s mind and was privately delighted; yet he secretly directed his wife to urge Xiao-cui to mend her ways. Xiao-cui answered her with a smile.

After another year the Ch ief Minister was dismissed from office, and it happened that a private letter sent to Wang Senior was mistakenly delivered to Supervisory Censor Wang. Censor Wang was delighted and first used good friends of Wang Senior to go borrow ten thousand cash. Wang Senior refused. Then the Censor himself went to Wang Senior’s house. Wang Se-

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Anthology of Chi11ese Literature

nior was looking for his official cap and gown but could find neither; the Censor waited for him for a long time and then became angry at Wang Se- nior’s cavalier treatment of him and was about to leave in a huff. Suddenly he saw Yuan-feng dressed in imperial dragon ro bes and a crown of jade; there was a young woman pushing him out from behind the door. The Cen- sor was quite shocked, but then he smiled and was nice to the lad. Making him take off th e imperial robes and crown, the Censor took them and left.

When Wang Senior came out hurriedly, his visitor was already long gone. When he heard what had happened, his face turned white, and weep- ing loudly, he said, “This young woman is our nemesis. On this very day our entire family and all our relations will be executed.” And together with Mrs. Wang he cook a stick and went off co find Xiao-cui. X iao-cui al ready knew this and closed her door, bearing their curses and insults. Wang Se- nior was furious and took an ax to her door. From within, Xiao-cui smiled and cold him, “Don’t work yourself up into such a rage, sir. As long as I am here, I will bear the rack and tongs and headsman’s ax myself and I won’t lee any harm come to you, my in-laws. If you go on like this, do you wane co kill me co shut me up? ” And then Wang Senior stopped.

When Censor Wang got home, he wrote out a denunciation to the throne indicting Wang Senior for lese-majeste, using the imperial robes and crown for evidence. His Majesty was surprised and examined the evidence: the “crown” was plaited from sorghum stalks, while the ” robes” were a tattered piece of yellow bundling cloth. The Emperor was furious at such false charges. He also had Yuan-feng summoned to his presence; and when he saw from his manner that Yuan-feng was obviously simple-minded, he said with a laugh, “So chis would be our Son of H eaven.” Then he had Censor Wang sent down to the Judiciary for trial. Censor Wang had also charged that there was a witch girl in Wang Senior’s house . The judiciary thor- oughly questioned the family servants, and they all said that it was just a simple-minded boy and his touched wife who spent their days playing games. The neighbors a lso offered nothing ro contradict this. The case was then closed and ex-Censor Wang was sent off co serve in the army in Yun-nan.

From this point on, Wang Senior considered Xiao-cui something extra- ord inary. And since her mother had not returned in such a long time, he con- sidered that she might not be a human being. He sent his wife to question her, but Xiao-cui just laughed and sa id nothing. When she was pressed even harder, she covered her mouth and said, “Don’t you realize that I’m the daughter of the Jade Emperor in H eaven?”

Soon afterward Wang was promoted to one of the senior positions in the capital. He was over fifty and always felt troubled at not having any grandchildren . Xiao-cui had lived with them three years, and every night she slept apart from Yuan-feng, so it seemed that they had never had intimate relations. Mrs. Wang moved the bed and directed Yuan-feng to sleep to- gether with his wife. After several days, Y uan-feng came and told his mother, “Take my bed away-I absolutely won’t come back. Every night Xiao-cui puts her feet and thighs on my belly, and I can hardly breathe. She’s a lso got

1116

The Qing Dynasty

the habit of poking around a person’s thighs.” Every one of the maids was smirking. Mrs. Wang shouted at them, whacked them, and made them leave.

One day Xiao-cui was bathing in her chamber. Yuan-feng saw her and wanted to join her. Xiao-cui laughed and stopped him, ordering him to wa it a while. When she got out, she poured more scalding hot water into the tub, took off his robe and pants, and then with a maid helped him to get in. Yuan- feng felt like he was suffocating from the steam and shouted that he wanted to get out. Xiao-cui wouldn’t listen to him and covered him over with a blan- ket. After a while he ceased to make any more sounds, and when they opened it to look, he had expired. Xiao-cui smiled contentedly and was not alarmed. She dragged him out and lay him on the bed. She wiped his body until it was dry and clean, and then put a double quilt over him. Mrs. Wang had heard about this and came into the room weeping: “You crazy girl! Why did you kill m y son?”

Xiao-cui beamed her most charming smile and said, “With a son as sim- ple-minded as this, you’re better off with none at all.” Mrs . Wang grew even more enraged and charged Xiao-cui with her head lowered. All the maids tried to pull her back and calm her down. Amid all this commotion, one maid declared, “Yuan-feng just groaned! ” When Mrs. Wang stopped weeping and felt him, she found he was breathing, and a great sweat was pouring from his body, soaking the mat and bedding. After a little while longer the sweat stopped, and he suddenly opened his eyes and looked all around, scrutiniz- ing each member of the household as if he didn’t recognize them. Then he said, “When I think back on the past, it all seems like a dream-why is that?” Since his speech no longer seemed simple-minded, Mrs. Wang was amazed. She took him by the hand to go consult with his father, and on being ques- tioned repeatedly, he was in fact no longer simple-minded. They were de- lighted as if they had just obtained a rare treasure.

When evening came, they moved his bed back to where it had been, and again made it up with covers and a blanket to watch what he would do. When Yuan-feng entered the room, he sent all the maidservants away. When they looked in the next morning, the bed had not been slept in. From that point on there was no more simple-mindedness on his part or craziness on her part; all was rosy between husband and wife, and the two were insepa- rable.

After more than a year, Wang Senior was impeached by the faction of Censor Wang and dismissed from office for a minor offense. The fam ily had a jade vase long ago presented to them by the Vice-Censor of Guang-xi, its value a tho usand pieces of cash. They had taken it out to offer as a bribe to a powerful official. Xiao-cui liked it and was holding it when it slipped from her hands and shattered. She was so ashamed that she threw herself down . Wang Senior and his wife, being on edge because of his dismissal from of- fice, flew into a rage when they heard about it. In turn they yelled at her and cursed her. Then Xiao-cui roused herself and went out, saying to Yuan-feng, “During the time I’ve been in your fami ly, the things I’ve protected and pre-

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Anthology of Chinese Literature

served have not been limited to just a single vase, so why am I not left with some respect! I’ll tell you the truth: I am not a human being. When my mother was going to be struck by lightning, she was very generously pro- tected by your father. Moreover, you and I have a predestined span of five years together, so she brought me to repay that kindness he once did and to fulfill an abiding wish. I have been spat upon, I have borne curses, and more hairs have been pulled from my head than I can count. The reason I didn’t go off immediately was because our five years together were not up. But now, how can I stay here one moment longer!” With that she went off in a tem- per, and by the time he went after her, she was long gone.

Wang Senior was despondent and felt lost, but his regrets did no good. When Yuan-feng entered her chamber and cast eyes on the powders and slip- pers she had left behind, he broke into tears and wanted to die. He was un- willing to eat or sleep and every day grew more wasted and emaciated. Wang Senior was quite worried and quickly set about to arrange a second mar- riage to console him, but Yuan-feng was not pleased with the idea. He only sought out a skilled painter to portray Xiao-cu i’s likeness, and day and night for almost two years he would pour libations and pray before it.

It happened once that for one reason or another he was coming back from another village as the bright moon was already casting its glow. Out- side the village there was a garden of a gentry household, and as Yuan-feng rode his horse past outside the wall, he heard someone laughing and talk- ing. He pulled up on the reins and had his groom hold the bridle. When he stood on the saddle and looked over, there were two girls playing on the other side. Clouds were passing over the moon and it was so dusky he could n’t make them out clearly. He heard one who was wearing azure clothes say, “You shou ld be kicked out of here!” Then one wearing red clothes said, “You’re in my garden. Who’s going to get kicked out?” Then the one in azure replied, “You’re shameless. You couldn’t be a wife and got yourself driven away, and you still presume to claim this as your property?” The one wearing red said, “Well, it’s better than being an old maid without ever having been betrothed.”

When Yuan-feng listened to the sound of her voice, it sounded very much like Xiao-cui’s, and he quickly called ro her. The one in azure went off, saying, ” I’m nor going to quarrel with you any more. Your young man has come.” Then the one in red came over, and it was indeed Xiao-cui. He was beside himself with delight. She had him climb over the wall and helped him down, saying, ” I haven’t seen you for years. You’re all skin and bones!” Yuan-feng rook hold of her hands and wept, telling her everything and how much he had missed her. Xiao-cui said, “I knew it, but I cou ldn’ t bring my- self to face your family again. Now as I was playing with my big sister in the garden, we’ve met again unexpectedly-this shows that what is predes- tined can’t be avoided.”

He asked her ro come home with him, but she refused. Then he asked ro stay in her garden, and ro this she agreed. Yuan-feng sent a servant to hurry off and tell his mother. His mother got up in surprise and went off in a sedan

1118

The Qing Dynasty

chair. The lock was opened, and she came into the pavilion in the garden. Xiao-cui immediately rushed over to welcome her politely. Mrs. Wang clutched her arm and shed tears, earnestly declaring her previous faults, and virtually overwhelmed, she said, “If you are willing to overlook those painful memories, come home with me and comfort me in my old age.” But Xiao-cui adamantly refused. Mrs. Wang was then concerned that this pavilion out in the wilds was roo solitary and dreary, and she made plans to have many peo- ple work there. But Xiao-cui said, “We don’t want to have anyone else around but the two serving girls who formerly were with us day and night, for we can’t entirely do without someone ro take care of us; beyond that, I would have only an old servant ro act as the gatekeeper. We don’t need any others at all.” Mrs. Wang agreed ro everything she said. She left Yuan-feng to con- valesce in the garden, providing him only his food and other daily needs. Xiao- cui urged Yuan-feng to marry again, but he wouldn’t go along with her.

After more than a year, Xiao-cui’s features and her voice gradually be- came different from what they had been previously. When Yuan-feng took out her portrait and compared it with her present state, they were as far apart as two different people. He thought this very strange. Xiao-cui said, “When you look at me roday, how can my beauty compare to what it used robe?” Yuan-feng said, “You’re beautiful as you are now, but not quite as much so as you used robe.” Xiao-cui said, “You mean, I’ve gotten old!” Yuan-feng replied, “How could you get old so quickly, only in your early twenties?” Xiao-cui laughed and burned the portrait, and when Yuan-feng tried to res- cue it, it was already ashes. One day she said to Yuan-feng, “Before, when I lived at your house, your father said that I would die without bearing any children. Your parents are old, and I truly cannot bear a child; I’m afraid that this will ruin the succession of your family line. Please marry someone and set her up in your home. She could wait on your parents a ll the time and you could go back and forth between here and there-that would work out well in every way.”

Yuan-feng agreed and sent the bride-price to the home of the Han-lin Compiler Zhong. When the blessed day drew near, Xiao-cui prepared clothes and slippers for the new bride and had them sent to her mother’s home. And when the bride entered Wang’s gate her speech, her appearance, and her movements were not the slightest bit different from those of Xiao-cui. Yuan- feng thought this extremely strange. When he went ro the pavilion in her garden, he didn’t know where Xiao-cui was. He asked a servant girl, and she rook out a red cloth kerchief, saying, “Madam has gone ro her mother’s home for a time, and she left this for you.” He unrolled the kerchief, and a ring was knotted ro it, and in his heart he knew that she was not coming back. Then he took the serving girls and went home with them.

Even though he never forgot Xiao-cui for a moment, Yuan-feng was fo r- tunate that every time he looked at his new bride, it was li ke seeing his o ld love. Then he realized that Xiao-cui had foreseen his marriage to Miss Z hong and had first changed her own appearance in order ro comfort him when he would miss her in days ro come.

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Anthology of Chinese Literature

Here follows the judgment of the Chronicler of Wonders: A fox still thought to repay a kindness done, even one done through unconscious virtue. Were they not contemptible who, having received the blessing of a second lease on life, yet were still aghast at a broken pot? As the moon wanes and is full again, so in the mortal world division came to fullness and re- union. And then, at her ease she departed. Now we can see that the loves of immortals are deeper still than those in the common world.

Blue Maid

Huo Huan, a lso known as Huo Kuang-jiu, was a native of Jin. His father, a county sheriff, had died before his time, leaving Huo Huan at a very ten- der age. Huo Huan was an exceptionally clever boy, and at the age of eleven he was enrolled among students for a civil service position as a “gifted lad. ” 4

But his mother, who doted on him to excess, forbade him to leave the fa m- ily compound, and by the age of thirteen he still couldn’t tell all his uncles and cousins apart.

In rhe same ward of the city there was a review judge, a Mr. Wu, who became a devotee of the Way and went off into the mountains, never to re- turn. He had a daughter, Blue Maid, fourteen years of age and beautiful be- yond the common measure. When younger, she had surreptitiously read her father’s books and come to idolize the Maiden Goddess He. When her fa- ther disappeared, she made up her mind not to marry, and her mother could do nothing about it.

One day Huo Huan caught a glimpse of her outside the gate. Although the boy knew nothing about such things, he felt an intense love for her, but he couldn ‘t explain it in words. H e straightway told his mother to send some- one to arrange an engagement. His mother knew that it would not be possi- ble and raised objections. Huo Huan grew depressed and dissatisfied; and his mother, fearing to thwart her son’s will, engaged a go-between to convey the proposal to the Wu family. As expected, they did nor agree. Huo Huan was constantly brooding and trying to devise schemes, but he could see no way.

Ir happened once that a Daoist came to their gate, carrying in his hand a small hand-spade about a foot in length. Huo Huan took it to look it over and asked, “What’s it used for?” The Daoist answered, “Ir’ s a tool for dig- ging out herbs. Although it’s small, it can penetrate hard stone.” Huo Huan didn’t really believe him, so the Daoist immediately cur into the stone of the garden wall, which, at every motion of his hand, fell away as if it were de- composed. Huo Huan was amazed; he kept on examining it and didn’t put it down. The Daoist then laughed and said, “Since you like it so much, let me give it to you as a gift.” Huo Huan was delighted and tried to give him money for it, but the Daoist refused to accept it and left.

When Huo Huan took it back and tried it on a range of rock and brick,

4 “Gifted lad” was the lerm used for those who passed 1he preliminary quali fying examination at a young age.

11 20

The Qing Dynasty

there was hardly any resistance. All of a sudden it came to his mind that if he made a hole in the wall, he could see that beautiful girl, not realizing that it was wrongful behavior. After the bell of the watch had rung, he cut his way right through the wall and went directly to the Wu mansion. There, after digging holes through several more layers of walls, he reached the inner courtyard. He saw a lamp fire still burning in a small chamber; and when he hid himself and spied in, it was Blue Maid taking off her evening attire. In a little while, the candle went out and all was si lent. When he made a hole in the next wall and went inside, the girl was a lready sou nd asleep. Then he took off his shoes and quietly got on her bed. He was afraid that if she woke, startled, he would be yelled at and forced to leave; so he nestled down by the side of her embroidered gown, smelling her sweet breath, and his heart’s desire was secretly satisfied. After his endeavors through half the night, he was utterly exhausted; and closing his eyes just a little, he went off to sleep without realizing it.

The girl woke up and heard the sound of breathing. Then she opened her eyes and saw light coming in through the hole. Terrified, she hurriedly got up and in the darkness unbolted the door and got our of the room. Then she knocked on the windows and called to the women of the household, who lit lanterns, grabbed canes, and went to her room. When they got there they saw a young adolescent, dressed as a student, sleeping oblivious on her em- broidered bed. Examining him carefully, they recognized him as young Huo. Only after they prodded him did he wake up, and then he got up at once, his eyes sparkling like shooting stars. He didn’t even seem to be very fright- ened, just too embarrassed to say a word. Since everyone was treating him like a burglar, he was afraid rhey were going to yell at him.

At that point, Hua began to cry and said, “I’m not a burglar-it was re- ally only because I was in love with Blue Maid and wanted to be close to her sweetness.” But everyone then doubted that a child could have dug holes in several walls. At this, Huo Huan took out his spade and told them about its remarkable powers. They each put it ro the test and were utterly astounded, exclaiming that it was a gift from the gods. They were all going to tell Mrs. Wu, but Blue Maid hung her head in brooding and seemed to think this would not be a good thing to do. The other women divined what was on her mind, so they said, “This boy is from an eminent and respectable household, and he hasn ‘ t violated your honor in the least. The best thing to do would be to let him loose and make him leave, then to have him once again seek a betrothal. In the morning we’ll make up an excuse to your mother about a burglar. How would that be?” Blue Maid didn’t answer, and the women then hurried Huo Huan to get going. Hua Huan wanted his spade back, and they all laughed and said, “You foolish boy! You still can’t forget this tool of ruin!”

Huo Huan spied a phoenix hairpin beside the pillow and furtively put it in his sleeve, but a maid saw him do it and instantly told everybody. Blue Maid said nothing, nor did she get angry. One old woman slapped him on the neck and said, “Don’t think he’s so innocent-he’s extremely tricky”;

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and she dragged him along to the hole he had dug, from which he then made his way out.

When Huo Huan got home, he didn’t dare tell his mother the truth. He simply urged her to send the matchmaker to the Wus again. But Huo Hua n’s mother couldn’t bear an open rejection and instructed all the matchmakers to arrange a marriage with someone else as quickly as possible. Blue Maid found out about this and her heart was in a panic. She secretly conveyed her innermost feelings to her mother. The mother was pleased and let the match- maker know. It happened, however, that a young servant girl let out these- cret of what had gone on previously, and Mrs. Wu felt so humiliated that she cou ldn’t contain her rage. When the matchmaker arrived, she met an even greater outburst of anger, as Mrs. Wu struck the ground with her cane and railed against Huo Huan and his mother as well. The matchmaker was frightened and snuck back, giving Mrs. Huo a full account of how things stood. Then Huo Huan’s mother a lso flew into a rage, saying, ” I was to- tally ignorant of what that wicked boy did. Why should I bear the brunt of such rudeness! Why didn’t they kill that wild boy and that wanton girl both while they were twining their legs together!”

From that point on, whenever she met her relations she would immedi- ately tell the whole story. When Blue Maid heard about this, she could have died from shame. And Mrs. Wu too greatly regretted the whole thing, but there was nothing she could do to stop Mrs. Huo from talking. Blue Maid secretly sent someone to tactfully approach H uo Huan’s mother, swearing to her that she would not marry anyone else. Her words were very moving; and Mrs. Huo, touched by them, spoke of it no further. And negotiations to arrange another marriage for Huo Huan were subsequently halted.

It happened that a Mr. Ou-yang of Shensi was magistrate of the town, and when he saw Huo Huan’s writing, he developed a high opinion of his capacities. Sometimes he had Huo summoned to the county office, where he treated him with the greatest kindness and generosity. One day he asked Huo Huan, “Are you married?” To which Huo Huan replied that he was not yet. When Ou-ya ng questioned him in some detail, Huo Huan re- sponded, “Long ago I became pledged to the young daughter of the former review judge Mr. Wu, but later, because of a minor feud, the matter has been left hanging.” Ou-yang asked him, “Do you still want to go through with it or not?” At this Huo Huan grew embarrassed and said nothing. Ou-yang laughed and said, “I’ll get it done for you.” At once he sent the sheriff and the local schoolteacher wi th the proper bride gifts to the Wus. Mrs. Wu was delighted, and the betrothal was settled.

When the year of engagement passed, Huo Huan brought Blue Maid home as his bride. As soon as Blue Maid entered the gate, she threw the spade on the ground, saying, “This is a thing for burglars. Get rid of it.” But Huo Huan laughed. “Don’t snub our go-between!” Then he hung it as a treasure from his sash, and it never left his person. Blue Maid was of a gentle, kindly, yet reticent disposition. Every day she would pay her respects to her mother- in-law th ree times, but for the remainder of the day she would just close her

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door and sit quietly, not concerning herself very much with household du- ties. Yet if Huo’s mother were gone elsewhere to offer condolences or con- gratulations, the management of household affairs was always in good order.

After more than a year, she gave birth to a son, Meng-xian. She left every- thing to the charge of a wet nurse and seemed not to be particularly con- cerned for the child. After another five years, she abruptly said to Huo Huan, “By now the course of our love has lasted eight years. Our time left together is short and the separation will be long. Nothing can be done about it!” Huo Huan was startled and asked her to expla in, but she kept silent, and in full attire went to pay her respects to her mother-in-law, then returned to her own room. When he went after Blue Maid to question her, she was lying on her bed, face up, and not breathing. Both mother and son mourned for her deeply. They purchased a fine coffin for her and had her buried. Huo’s mother was already frail and aging. Whenever she took the child in her arms, she would think of his mother, and it was as if her hea rt would break. After this she grew sick and became so exhausted that she could not get up. She felt a revulsion against taking any nourishment. The only thing she wanted was a certain fish dish that could not be obtained anywhere close by, but could be purchased only at a place a hundred miles away.

At the time the hired couriers had all been sent on various errands; and Huo, who was genuinely devoted to his mother, was in a hurry and could- n’ t wait. Taking money for his expenses, he set off by himself, and didn’t stop traveling day and night. Bur then he found himself in the mo untains, with the sunlight a lready sinking to darkness; he was hobbling on both feet and couldn’t go an inch further. A11 o ld man came up behind him and said , “You must have gotten blisters on your feet.” Huo Huan answered that he had. Then the o ld man led him over to sit by the side of the road and struck some flint to make a fire. Using some herbs he had in a paper packet, he steamed both of Huo Huan’s feet. When Huo tried to walk again, not only had the pain stopped but he a lso felt stronger and more energetic. Deeply touched, Huo Huan expressed his gratitude, and the old man asked, “Why are you in such a hurry?” Huo explained that his mother was sick, and from there proceeded to tell the events that led up to it. The old man then asked, “Why don’t you marry someone else?” Huo Huan answered that he had not found a good-looking woman. The old man then pointed to a mountain vil- lage in the distance and said, “There’s a good-looking woman there. If only you could go off with me there, I would arrange something for you.” But Huo declined on the grounds that his mother was sick and required a cer- tain fish. At this the old man folded his hands and said that if he should come to the village someday, he should just ask for Old Wang. Then he went his way. When Huo got home, he cooked the fish and offered it to his mother. Huo’s mother improved somewhat, and in several days she quickly got bet- ter.

Huo Huan then had a servant and horse readied to go look for the old man. When he reached the spot he had been before, he could no longer tell

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where the village was. He wandered around for some time as the evening glow of the sun gradually sank away. The hills and valleys were very con- fusing; unable to get a clear view to orient himself, Huo climbed a hilltop with his servant to look for a village. The mountain path was rough and steep, too difficult to continue to ride, so he went up on foot, engulfed in the darkening colors of mist. There he paced about, looking in all directions, but there was still no sign of a village. He started down the mountain but couldn’t find the path back. Anxiety seemed to burn in his heart like a fire. As he sought some refuge in the wilderness, night’s blackness descended the sheer cliff. Fortunately, several feet below him there was a swathe of wild moss; and when he lowered himself and lay on it, its width was just enough for his body. When he looked down, all was blackness and he couldn’t see the bottom. Huo was terrified and didn’ t dare make the least movement. H e was also fortunate that there were small trees growing a ll along the side of the slope that held his body back like a railing.

After a while he noticed that near his feet there was a small cave open- ing. Huo felt overjoyed, and keeping his back against the rock, he wriggled into it. There he felt safer and hoped to wait until daybreak to call for help. Shortly thereafter, there was a beam of light like a star in the deeper part of the cave. He started to go toward it, and after a couple of miles he suddenly caught sight of a cottage with a porch; there were no lamps or candles, yet the light there was bright as day. A beautiful woman came out from a room; he looked at her carefully, and it was Blue Maid. When she saw H uo, she was startled. “How could you get in here?” Without taking the time to ex- plain, Huo took her hands and sobbed pitiably. Blue Maid tried to comfort him. When she asked about his mother and their son, Huo gave an account of a ll thei r troubles, and Blue Maid also grew melancholy. T hen Huo said, “You’ve been dead for more than a year now-this must be the under- world .” Blue Maid replied, “No, this is a precinct of the immortals. I did- n’t die back then, and what you buried was only a bamboo cane. Since you have come here, you have the destiny to become an immorta l. ”

Thereupon she took him in to pay his respects to her father, a man with a long beard seated at the head of the hal l. Huo hastened to bow to him, and Blue Maid said, “Mr. Huo has come.” The old man rose in surprise, took his hand, and politely asked after him. Then he said, ” It’s a wonder- ful thing that you’ve come here-it’s your fate to stay here.” But H uo po- litely declined, saying that he could not stay long because of his mother. T he old man said, “l understand that, but there won’t be any harm if you linger on here a few days.” Then they fed him fine foods and wine, and in the west hall they had a serving girl set up a bed, which she covered with brocade bedding.

As Huo was withdrawing for the night, he tried to get Blue Maid to share the bed with him. She refused him, saying, “This is not the sort of place to permit such improper intimacies.” But Huo clutched her arm and wouldn’t let her go. Outside the window could be heard the derisive laughter of the serving girl, and Blue Maid became even more embarrassed. As they were

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struggling, the old man came in and screamed at Huo, “Be gone at once! Your commonness defiles my cave!” Huo had always been obstinate, and unable co endure the embarrassment, he colored and said, “The feelings chat occur between and man and a woman can’t be helped- why must you spy on me? I don’t mind getting out of here right now; just have your daughter go along with me. ”

The old man didn’t object and ordered Blue Maid to go with him, open- ing the back door to see chem off. Once he had cricked Huo into going o ut che gate, the father shut the door and disappeared. When Huo looked around, there wasn’t the slightest seam or crack in che sheer cliff that loomed before him. He was utterly a lone and had no place to go . He looked up into che sky where the sinking moon was hanging on high and the stars had al- ready grown sparse.

He remained there in despair for quite some time, and then his grief turned co resentment. He faced the cliff and shouted, but there was no reply. His fury mounted; he took the spade from his waist and set to digging his way in through the rock, hacking away and cursing. In the twinkling of an eye he had burrowed in three or four feet, and he heard the muffled sound of someone saying, “Damn him!” Huo then put all his strength into it and dug even more quickly. Suddenly the end of his cave opened wide into a dou- ble door. He pushed Blue Maid out through the runnel, saying, “Let’s go, let’s go!” At once che wall closed up again behind chem. Then she said an- grily, “Since you loved me as your wife, how can you treat my father like this? What kind of o ld Daoisc was it gave you chat disastrous tool that can aggravate and persecute a person co death!”

Having found Blue Maid, Huo’s mood was somewhat ca lmer. He did- n’ t argue any more but simply worried about the danger of the road and how hard it would be to get back. Blue Maid broke off two branches and had each of them put the branches between their legs. At once these trans- formed into horses and in no time they arrived at his house. By that point, Huo had been missing for seven days.

Huo had previously become separated from his servant. The servant looked for Huo but couldn ‘t find him, then went back and informed Huo’s mother. His mother sent people to search everywhere in the mountain val- leys for him, bur no trace was found. Huo’s mother had been beside herself with worry, and when she hea rd that her son had returned, she went o ut overjoyed to welcome him back. When she looked up and saw Blue Maid, she almost collapsed from the shock. Huo told her the general story, and his mother became calmer and more cheerful. Because of the bizarre nature of what had happened to her, Blue Maid was worried about provoking gen- eral gossip and wanted to have the family move at once. Huo’s mother agreed with her. They had an estate in another district, and after a fixed period they set off to go there, and no one knew anything about it.

They lived together there for eighteen years. Blue Maid had a daughter who married into the Li family of the same town. Afterward, Huo’s mother passed away at a ripe old age. Blue Maid told Huo, ” In the field of tall grasses

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of my home there is a pheasant nesting on eight eggs. That’s where she should be buried. You and our son Meng-xian should take the coffin there and see to the funeral service. Our son is already grown, and it is fitting that he should remain in the mourning hut by the grave. There’s no need to have him return with you.” Huo did as she said, and came back a lone after the funeral. After more than a month, Meng-xian went to visit them, and his father and mother were both long gone. He asked an old servant about them, and she said, “They went to a funeral and never came back.” He knew that a marvel had transpired, but all he could do was heave a great sigh.

Meng-xian’s reputation as a writer was much bruited about, but he had difficulties in the examination and in forty days he did not pass. Later, as part of the local quota of candidates, he participated in the Shun-tian ex- amination, where he met a young man in the same dormitory as himself. This young man was seventeen or eighteen, a splendid and nonchalant young man with a certain spiritual manner. Meng-xian was quite drawn to him. When he looked at his paper, Meng-xian saw that he was Huo Zhong- xian, on stipend from Shun-tian district.5 Shocked, he stared in disbelief and told his own name. Zhong-xian also thought it remarkable and asked where he was from and his relatives.

Meng-xian told him in detail, at which Zhong-xian was delighted and said, “When I set off for the capital, my father advised me that among the examinees if I met someone named Hua from Shansi, he was of my family, and that I should welcome the acquaintance. Now it’s happened. But how is it that our names are so sim ilar?” Meng-xian then questioned him about the names of his parents and grandparents, and when Zhong-xian finished, Meng-xian said in surprise, “But these my own father and mother!” Zhong- x ian was still uncertain because of the disparity in age, but Meng-xian said, “My father and mother are both immortals-how can one judge their age by their appearance?” When he told the story of all that had transpired, Zhong-xian believed him.

After the examination, they didn’t take time off to rest but made travel preparations and returned to Zhong-xian’s home together. As soon as they reached the gate, one of the family servants came out to welcome them and told them that the night before their father and mother had disappeared. Both men were very surprised. Zhong-xian went in and asked his wife to tell him about it. His wife said, “Last night we were drinking wine together, and your mother said to me, ‘You and your husband are still young and in- experienced. But tomorrow his elder brother will come, and I won’t worry any more.’ When I went into their rooms in the morning, they were de-

5 1t is common practice to vary the names of brothers and sisters in a set, distinguishing them by chang- ing one character of a two-character given name. O ften, as in this case, the variation indicates the degree of seniority. Meng-xian is thus the “Senior Immortal,” and Zhong-xian is the “Middle-Brother Immortal.” For someone named Huo Meng-xian, who thought he was an only son, to meet some- on~ named Huo Zhong-xian might be startling because this wou ld be the proper name to give to his younger brother.

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serted .” When the brothers heard this, they stamped their feet and were stricken with grief. Zhong-xian still wanted to go after them, but gave up when Meng-xian expressed the opinion that it would do no good. Zhong- xian had passed the district examination. But since the family tombs were located in Jin, he went back there with his brother. They still hoped that their father and mother were still in the mortal world somewhere and asked for information about them wherever they went. But no trace of them was ever found .

Here follows the judgment of the Chronicler of Wonders: In making a hole in the wall and going to sleep on her bed, he showed na·ivete in thought; in digging through the cliff and abusing the old man, he showed rash wild- ness in action; the reason why the immortal brought the couple together was purely a desire to reward his devotion to his mother with a gift of eternal life. Nevertheless, having mingled with the mortal world and begotten chil- dren, why couldn’t they have stayed to the end? What brought her to aban- don her sons several times in thirty years? Strange indeed!

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