Original Text
Wang Zifu was a native of Luodian in Juzhou, who lost his father in childhood. He was exceedingly clever and became a xiucai at the age of fourteen. His mother doted on him and would not allow him to roam the countryside. He was betrothed to a girl surnamed Xiao, but she died before the marriage could take place, leaving him still single. On the night of the Lantern Festival, his cousin Wu Sheng invited him to go sightseeing. Just as they left the village, a servant from Wu's household came chasing after them and called Wu back. Wang Zifu, seeing the throng of beautiful women, continued on his own in high spirits. There was a young lady accompanied by a maidservant, holding a sprig of plum blossom in her hand; her beauty was unparalleled, and her smile was radiant. Wang Zifu stared at her fixedly, forgetting all propriety. The lady walked a few steps, then turned her head and said to her maidservant, "Look at that young man, his eyes are blazing like a thief's!" She tossed the plum blossom to the ground and walked away laughing and chatting with her maid.
Wang Zifu picked up the plum blossom, feeling lost and forlorn, as if his soul had departed, and returned home in low spirits. Upon arriving home, he hid the flower beneath his pillow, lay down to sleep, and refused to eat or drink, nor did he speak a word. His mother, seeing him in this state, grew deeply anxious. She invited Buddhist monks and Taoist priests to set up altars and exorcise evil spirits, but Wang Zifu's condition only worsened, and he became emaciated beyond recognition. A physician felt his pulse, diagnosed his ailment, and prescribed medicine to dispel the external pathogens, yet Wang Zifu remained in a daze. His mother gently questioned him about what had happened, but he remained silent. Just then, Scholar Wu arrived, and the mother entrusted him with secretly investigating the cause of the illness without arousing suspicion. Wu went to the bedside, and Wang Zifu wept upon seeing him. Wu drew near, comforting and soothing him, and pressed him to reveal his innermost thoughts. Wang Zifu confessed everything and begged him for a solution. Wu laughed and said, "How foolish you are! Why should this wish be so hard to fulfill? I will seek her out for you. She was strolling in the wilds on foot, which shows she cannot be from a noble family. If she is not yet betrothed, the matter will be easy; even if she is, we can spare no expense and likely succeed. Only let your illness heal, and leave this to me." At these words, Wang Zifu could not help but smile. Wu left Wang Zifu's room, informed his mother of the situation, and then set out to inquire about the maiden's whereabouts. Yet, no matter how he searched and inquired, he could never find any trace of her. The mother was deeply worried but had no recourse. However, after Wu's departure, Wang Zifu's sorrow lifted, and he began to eat a little. A few days later, Wu returned, and Wang Zifu asked how the matter progressed. Wu deceived him, saying, "I have found her. I thought it was someone else, but it turns out she is my aunt's daughter, your maternal cousin, who is now awaiting a match. Though marriage between close relatives is taboo, if we speak plainly, it cannot fail." Wang Zifu's face lit up with joy, and he asked, "Where does she live?" Wu fabricated a reply, "She lives in the southwestern mountains, about thirty li from here." Wang Zifu repeatedly urged him on, and Wu volunteered eagerly, promising everything, before taking his leave.
After this, Wang Zifu's appetite gradually increased, and his illness improved day by day. When he looked beneath his pillow, the plum blossom, though withered, had not yet fallen. Lost in reverie, he toyed with the branch, as if seeing the maiden before him. He grew vexed that Wu Sheng did not come, so he sent a letter summoning him. Wu Sheng made excuses and evaded the meeting, which filled Wang Zifu with anger and resentment, leaving him gloomy and despondent. His mother, fearing a relapse of his old ailment, hastened to arrange a marriage for him, but whenever she broached the subject, he shook his head in refusal, his heart set only on Wu Sheng's arrival. Wu Sheng never sent word, and Wang Zifu's bitterness deepened. Yet, on reflection, he thought that thirty li was not so far a distance—why must he rely on another? So he placed the withered plum in his sleeve and, in a fit of pique, set off alone, unbeknownst to his family.
Wang Zifu, traveling alone, found himself on a solitary journey without a single soul to ask for directions, and so he pressed onward toward the southern mountains. After some thirty li, he beheld a vista of layered peaks, verdant forests that refreshed the spirit, a silent valley devoid of human habitation, with only a narrow winding path. Gazing into the distance at the valley's end, amid a tangle of flowers and scattered trees, he dimly discerned a small hamlet. Descending the mountain and entering the village, he saw few dwellings, all thatched cottages, yet their atmosphere was exceedingly refined and secluded. To the north stood a house, before whose gate hung weeping willows, while within the courtyard peach and apricot trees flourished in abundance, interspersed with a grove of bamboo, where wild birds sang among the branches. Wang Zifu surmised this must be someone's garden and dared not enter rashly. Turning to look at the house opposite, he noticed a large smooth stone before its door, and so he sat down to rest. After a while, he heard from within the courtyard a woman's voice, drawn out and sweet, calling "Xiao Rong," a sound delicate and captivating. As he listened intently, a young lady emerged from the east, walking westward, holding a sprig of apricot blossom in her hand, her head bowed as if to place it in her hair. Lifting her eyes, she saw Wang Zifu, and, ceasing to adorn herself, smiled faintly, toyed with the flower, and entered the house. Wang Zifu scrutinized her closely and recognized her as the maiden he had encountered during the Lantern Festival outing. His heart leaped with joy and surprise. Yet, lacking any pretext to approach, he thought to call upon his aunt, but having never had dealings with her, he feared making a mistake. With no one at the gate to inquire of, he could neither stand nor sit still, his mind unsettled, pacing back and forth from morning until sunset, his sole hope fixed on someone emerging from the courtyard, so absorbed that he forgot both hunger and thirst. At that moment, the young lady, peeping through a crack in the door, revealed half her face, spying on Wang Zifu as if wondering why he did not depart.
Suddenly, an old woman leaning on a walking stick emerged and said to Wang Zifu, "From whence has this young gentleman come? I have heard that you arrived since morning and have been sitting here until now. What is it you intend to do? Are you perhaps hungry?" Wang Zifu hastily rose and bowed, replying, "I am waiting to seek out a relative." The old woman was hard of hearing and did not catch his words. Wang Zifu repeated himself in a louder voice, and she then asked, "What is the surname of your relative?" Wang Zifu could not answer. The old woman laughed and said, "How strange! You do not even know the name, yet you come seeking a relative? I see that you, young gentleman, are also a bookish fool. Why not come inside with me and partake of some simple fare? There is a bed in the house, and you may stay the night. When you return home tomorrow, inquire after the surname, and then come back to seek your relative—it will not be too late." Wang Zifu was indeed ravenously hungry and wished to eat, and moreover, he could thereby approach the beautiful maiden, so he was greatly delighted. He followed the old woman inside, and there he saw that within the gate, white stones paved the path, and on both sides were crimson flowers in full bloom, with petals falling in scattered heaps upon the steps. Following the stone path westward, they passed through another small gate, where bean trellises and flower frames filled the courtyard. The old woman invited Wang Zifu into the main hall, and within, the white walls gleamed like mirrors, while the tender branches and blossoming buds of the crabapple tree outside the window reached into the room. The bedding on the couch and the tables and chairs were all spotlessly clean. As soon as Wang Zifu sat down, someone peeked in from outside the window. The old woman called out, "Xiao Rong, go quickly and prepare the meal!" A maidservant outside answered in a loud voice. After sitting for a while, they spoke of their family backgrounds. The old woman said, "Is your maternal grandfather's family named Wu?" Wang Zifu replied, "Yes." The old woman exclaimed in surprise, "You are my nephew! Your mother is my younger sister. In recent years, because of poverty at home and having no son, we have had no news of each other. You have grown so tall, and yet we have not met." Wang Zifu said, "I came this time specifically for my aunt, but in my haste, I forgot the surname." The old woman said, "My surname is Qin. I have never borne a child. Now there is a girl, born of a concubine; her mother remarried and gave her to me to raise. She is clever enough, but lacks a bit of instruction, always laughing and frolicking, knowing no sorrow. In a little while, I shall have her come to meet you."
In a short while, the maid had prepared the meal, which included plump and tender chicken, quite sumptuous. The old woman repeatedly urged Wang Zifu to eat more. After the meal, the maid came in to clear the dishes. The old woman said, "Call Ninggu in." The maid acknowledged and left. After a long time, faint laughter could be heard from outside the door. The old woman called again, "Yingning, your maternal cousin is here." The laughter outside continued, a constant "chirping" sound, unable to stop. The maid pushed Yingning in, still covering her mouth with her hand, laughing uncontrollably. The old woman glared at her and said, "With a guest present, you still giggle and cackle—what kind of behavior is this?" The girl suppressed her laughter and stood to one side. Wang Zifu bowed to her. The old woman said, "This is young Master Wang, your aunt's son. Being family yet not knowing each other—this would make outsiders laugh." Wang Zifu asked, "How old is my cousin?" The old woman did not hear clearly, and Wang Zifu repeated the question. The girl burst into laughter again, laughing so hard she could not lift her head. The old woman said to Wang Zifu, "I told you she lacks upbringing, and now you see it. She is already sixteen, but still foolish as a child." Wang Zifu said, "She is a year younger than me." The old woman said, "My nephew is seventeen then, likely born in the year of Gengwu, under the sign of the horse?" Wang Zifu nodded in agreement. The old woman asked further, "Who is my nephew's wife?" Wang Zifu replied, "I have none yet." The old woman said, "With a nephew of such talent and appearance, why have you not been betrothed at seventeen? Yingning also has no husband yet. The two of you would be an excellent match, though it is a pity that maternal cousins marrying is not ideal." Wang Zifu said nothing, his eyes fixed solely on Yingning, unable to blink or look away. The maid whispered to the girl, "Look at his blazing gaze—the rogue's manner has not changed at all!" The girl burst into laughter again and said to the maid, "Let's go see if the green peaches have bloomed." She suddenly stood up, covering her mouth with her sleeve, and walked out with quick, delicate steps. Only when she reached outside the door did she let out a full-throated laugh. The old woman also rose and instructed the maid to prepare the bedding for Wang Zifu's rest. She said to Wang Zifu, "Since my nephew has come such a distance, it is best to stay three to five days, and I will slowly see you home. If you find the room stuffy, there is a small garden behind the house for leisure, and books to read as well."
The next day, Wang Zifu went around to the back of the house and indeed found a half-mu garden, with fine, soft grass like a green carpet, willow catkins scattered like dots upon the paths, and three thatched cottages surrounded by clusters of flowers and trees. He threaded his way through the blossoms, walking slowly, when he heard a rustling sound from the treetops. Looking up, he saw Yingning in the tree; upon seeing Wang Zifu approach, she burst into laughter, nearly falling off. Wang Zifu hastily called out, "Stop laughing! Be careful, you might fall!" Yingning, still laughing, began to climb down, unable to suppress her mirth. As she neared the ground, she slipped and fell, and only then did her laughter cease. Wang Zifu went to help her up, secretly pinching her wrist, and Yingning started laughing again, leaning against the tree, unable to take a step, until after a long while she stopped. When she had laughed enough, Wang Zifu took a plum blossom from his sleeve and showed it to her. Yingning took it and said, "It's all withered. Why keep it still?" Wang Zifu replied, "This was the flower you dropped on Lantern Festival night, so I have preserved it to this day." Yingning asked, "What use is keeping it?" Wang Zifu said, "To show my love and remembrance. Since meeting you on Lantern Festival, I have been deeply lovesick and fell ill, thinking my life was forfeit. But now I am fortunate to see your face again; I hope you will take pity on me." Yingning said, "This is no great matter. What is there to begrudge among relatives? When you leave, I will have an old servant pick a large bundle of garden flowers for you to carry back." Wang Zifu said, "Are you a simpleton, sister?" Yingning asked, "Why do you call me a simpleton?" Wang Zifu said, "It is not the flowers I love, but the one who plucked them." Yingning said, "Among relatives, love goes without saying." Wang Zifu said, "The love I speak of is not that between relatives, but the love between husband and wife." Yingning said, "Is there a difference?" Wang Zifu said, "At night, we share the same bed and pillow." Yingning pondered for a long while, then said, "I am not accustomed to sleeping with strangers." Before she had finished speaking, a maid arrived silently, and Wang Zifu, flustered, slipped away.
After a while, Wang Zifu and Yingning met again in the old woman's chamber. The old woman asked Yingning, "Where have you been?" Yingning replied that they had been chatting together in the garden. The old woman then inquired, "The meal has long been ready; what endless talk kept you so long?" Yingning said, "Elder Brother wanted to sleep with me." Before she could finish, Wang Zifu was mortified and quickly glared at her, whereupon Yingning gave a faint smile and said no more. Fortunately, the old woman was hard of hearing and did not catch the remark, but she kept on with her nagging questions, and Wang Zifu hastily changed the subject. Because of this, Wang Zifu softly reproached Yingning, who asked, "Was what I said just now not proper?" Wang Zifu replied, "Such words are meant to be private." Yingning said, "Private from others, but how can one hide them from one's own mother? Besides, sleeping is an ordinary matter; why be so guarded?" Wang Zifu could only lament her simple-mindedness, unable to make her understand. No sooner had they finished their meal than someone from Wang Zifu's household arrived leading two donkeys in search of him.
It turned out that the Queen Mother, seeing that Wang Zifu had not returned for a long time, began to grow anxious and searched the entire village without finding any trace of him. Therefore, she went to inquire of Scholar Wu. Scholar Wu recalled the words he had spoken earlier, so he instructed people to search in the southwestern mountain village. The searchers passed through several villages before arriving at this place. Wang Zifu happened to step out and encounter the searchers, so he went in to inform the old lady and also requested to take Yingning back with him. The old lady said joyfully, "I have long had this intention, not just for a day or two. But I am old and frail and cannot travel far; if my nephew can take his younger sister home to meet her aunt, that would be wonderful!" Having said this, she called for Yingning, who came laughing. The old lady said, "What happy event makes you laugh without end? If you could rid yourself of this fondness for laughter, you would be a perfect person." With that, she cast two angry glances at her. Then she continued, "Your elder brother intends to take you back with him; go and prepare yourself." The old lady then entertained the Wang family's messenger with wine and food before seeing them off, instructing Yingning, "Your aunt's family has abundant fields and property and can support an idle person. There is no need to rush back; learn a little poetry, etiquette, and ritual, so that in the future you may serve your parents-in-law well. By the way, trouble your aunt to find you a good husband." Wang Zifu and Yingning, having heard these instructions, set out on their journey. When they reached the mountain hollow and looked back, they could faintly see the old lady still leaning against the door, gazing northward.
Upon arriving home, Wang's mother saw an extraordinarily beautiful girl and asked in surprise who she was. Wang Zifu said she was his aunt's daughter. His mother replied, "What Wu Lang told you before was a lie. I have no sister, so how could there be a niece?" She then questioned Yingning, who said, "I was not born of this mother. My father's surname was Qin, and when he died, I was still in swaddling clothes and too young to remember anything." Wang's mother said, "I did have a sister who married into the Qin family, that is true, but she died long ago—how could she still be alive?" She then asked in detail about Yingning's mother's facial features and any moles or warts, and everything matched her sister's characteristics. Still suspicious, she said, "It does seem so, but she has been dead for many years—how could she still be living?" While they were pondering this, Wu Sheng arrived, and Yingning hid in the inner chamber. Wu Sheng asked about the matter and was lost in confusion for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Is this girl called Yingning?" Wang Zifu confirmed it, and Wu Sheng repeatedly exclaimed it was strange. Wang Zifu asked what Wu Sheng knew, and Wu Sheng said, "After Aunt Qin died, Uncle lived alone at home and became infatuated with a fox spirit, eventually dying of illness. The fox gave birth to a daughter named Yingning, wrapped her in a mat, and placed her on the bed—everyone in the household saw it. After Uncle died, the fox often came back. Later, a Taoist priest's talisman was pasted on the wall, and the fox then took Yingning away. Could this be her?" Everyone discussed the matter uncertainly. From the inner chamber, they could hear Yingning giggling incessantly. Wang's mother said, "This girl is too simple-minded." Wu Sheng wished to see Yingning. Wang's mother went into the inner chamber, where Yingning was still laughing carelessly, paying no heed. She urged Yingning to come out and meet the guest, and only then did Yingning force herself to stop laughing, facing the wall to calm herself for a while before coming out. After coming out, she had just bowed once to Wu Sheng when she turned and ran back inside, bursting into loud laughter. All the women in the room were amused by her.
Wu Sheng proposed to go to Yingning's home himself to see what was actually there, and incidentally to act as a matchmaker for Wang Zifu. Upon reaching that mountain village, he found not a single house, only withered blossoms scattered on the ground. He recalled that his aunt's burial place seemed to be nearby, but the grave was overgrown and unrecognizable, so he could only return in astonishment and dismay. When Wang's mother heard this, she suspected they had encountered a ghost and told Yingning of Wu Sheng's words, but Yingning showed no fear at all. Though they pitied her for being homeless and without family, she felt no sorrow, only laughing foolishly without ceasing. Everyone was utterly baffled. Wang's mother had Yingning live and sleep with her own young daughter. Yingning came every morning to pay her respects to Wang's mother, and her needlework was exquisitely fine. She simply loved to laugh, and no amount of forbidding could stop her; yet when she laughed, her manner was charming and graceful, and even loud laughter did not mar her beauty, so everyone was fond of her. The neighboring women and girls also vied to befriend her.
The Queen Mother selected an auspicious day and hour, preparing for the two to perform the wedding ceremony, yet she always feared that Yingning was a ghostly being. Later, she secretly observed Yingning's shadow under the sunlight and found it no different from an ordinary person's. On the appointed day, she had Yingning dress in splendid attire to perform the bride's rites, but Yingning laughed so uncontrollably that she could not complete the ceremony, so they had to desist. Wang Zifu, due to Yingning's simple and foolish nature, worried that she might divulge their private chamber secrets to outsiders, yet she guarded those secrets strictly, uttering not a word. Whenever the Queen Mother was troubled or angry, as soon as Yingning arrived, a single laugh would dissolve the tension. When maidservants or bondmaids committed minor faults and feared the mistress's whip, they would beg Yingning to first speak with the Queen Mother, then present themselves afterward, thus escaping punishment. Yingning had an obsessive love for flowers; she collected every fine bloom from relatives and friends' homes, and sometimes even secretly pawned her gold hairpins and jewelry to purchase superior varieties. Within a few months, every spot in the courtyard, including the steps on both sides and the area around the latrine, was planted with flowers.
In the back courtyard there was a trellis of banksia roses, built close against the wall of the western neighbor's house. Yingning often climbed onto this trellis to pick flowers, which she would either wear in her hair or place in her room to play with. Whenever the Wang matriarch saw this, she would scold her, but Yingning never changed her ways. One day, the son of the western neighbor saw Yingning picking flowers on the trellis and was utterly captivated by her beauty, staring at her without pause. Yingning did not avoid his gaze but continued to smile. The western neighbor's son thought Yingning was interested in him, and his heart grew even more agitated. Yingning pointed with her finger toward the base of the wall, then descended from the trellis still smiling. The western neighbor's son took this as a sign of an assignation and was overjoyed. At dusk, he went to the spot she had indicated, and indeed Yingning was there. As he approached to assault her, he suddenly felt a piercing pain in his lower body, as if stabbed by an awl, and unable to bear the agony, he cried out loudly and collapsed. Upon closer inspection, it was not Yingning at all, but a withered log lying at the base of the wall, and what his lower body had touched was a hole rotted open by rain. Hearing his cries, the western neighbor's father rushed over to inquire, but the son only groaned and would not speak. When his wife arrived, he finally told the truth. Lighting a torch, they saw a large scorpion in the hollow of the log, as big as a small crab. The old man split the wood, caught the scorpion, and killed it. Then he carried his son back home, and by midnight the son was dead. The neighbor's family sued Wang Zifu, accusing Yingning of being a demonic entity. The county magistrate, who had long admired Wang Zifu's learning and knew him to be a man of upright conduct, judged the neighbor's accusation to be false and prepared to have him beaten as punishment. Wang Zifu pleaded on the neighbor's behalf for leniency, so the magistrate released him and drove him away. Afterward, the Wang matriarch said to Yingning, "Seeing how foolish and naive you are, I long knew that excessive joy harbors hidden sorrow. Fortunately, the magistrate was discerning and we escaped trouble. If we had encountered a muddled official, you would surely have been dragged to the court for interrogation, and then what face would my son have to show his relatives and friends?" Yingning then put on a solemn expression and swore she would never laugh again. The matriarch said, "Who among people does not laugh? It is only that there should be a proper time and place for it." From then on, Yingning indeed never laughed again; even when someone tried to amuse her, she would not smile, though she showed no sign of sadness throughout the day.
One evening, Yingning, with tears streaming down her face, began to sob bitterly before Wang Zifu. Wang Zifu was greatly astonished. Choking with sobs, Yingning said, "In the past, because our time together was short, I feared that speaking of this would frighten and alarm you. Now I see that my mother-in-law and you both hold me in deep affection, without any ulterior motives, so perhaps it is safe to reveal the truth without harm? I was born of a fox. When my mother departed, she entrusted me to a ghost mother, and we lived together in mutual dependence for over ten years, until this day. I have no brothers; my only reliance is you. My old mother dwells alone in the mountains, enduring hardship and loneliness, with no one to pity her and move her grave for a joint burial. In the Nine Springs below, she will harbor endless regret. If you are not averse to trouble and expense, and can relieve the sorrow and pain of the one beneath the earth, perhaps it may prevent those who bear daughters from heartlessly drowning or abandoning them." Wang Zifu agreed to Yingning's request, but worried that amidst the wild grass it would be difficult to find the grave. Yingning said there was no need for concern. On a chosen day, the couple transported a coffin in a cart to the site. Amidst the tangled weeds covering the hills, Yingning pointed out the location of the grave, and indeed they found the old woman's corpse, still intact. Yingning wept bitterly over the body. Later, they brought the old woman's remains back and found the Qin family's burial ground, where they interred them together. That night, Wang Zifu dreamed that the old woman came to thank him; upon waking, he told Yingning. Yingning said, "I also saw her in the night, and I instructed her not to startle you." Wang Zifu regretted not having asked her to stay. Yingning replied, "She is a ghost; here there are many living people and abundant yang energy—how could she linger long?" Wang Zifu then asked about Xiaorong. Yingning said, "She too is a fox, the most clever of all. The fox mother left her to care for me; she often prepared food and fed me, and I never forget her kindness. Yesterday I asked the ghost mother, and she said Xiaorong has already married." From then on, every year at Qingming, Wang Zifu and his wife would ascend to the Qin family burial ground, paying respects and sweeping the grave without fail. After a year, Yingning gave birth to a son. This child, even in his mother's arms, was unafraid of strangers and smiled at everyone he saw, bearing much of his mother's demeanor and nature.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: Observing Yingning's silly, giggling demeanor, she seemed utterly guileless; yet when one considers the mischievous prank she played beneath the wall, she was also quite cunning and resourceful. As for her mournful longing for her ghostly mother, turning from wild laughter to bitter weeping, my Yingning likely used laughter to conceal her true self. I have heard that in the mountains there is a plant called 'The Laughing Herb'; those who smell it cannot stop laughing. If such a plant were cultivated in a chamber, it would outshine even the joy-bringing flowers and the forgetfulness-inducing blooms. As for the so-called 'understanding flower,' its coy and affected mannerisms are truly detestable.
Commentary
There is no doubt that among the many characters in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Yingning was particularly beloved by Pu Songling, for in his commentary he refers to her as "my Yingning," a form of address that is exceedingly rare among the figures in this collection.
Ying Ning's character has been beloved by modern readers, and almost every selected edition of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio includes this story. What do modern readers admire about Ying Ning? They admire her lively innocence and pure childlike heart. In particular, her cheerful laughter unfolds throughout the narrative, giving her a distinct personality. This character trait was both deliberately emphasized and appreciated by Pu Songling. As he remarked in the Historian's Commentary: "If one plants such a flower in the chamber, even the flowers of shared joy and forgetfulness of sorrow would lose their luster. As for the talking flower, one would only find its affectation tiresome."
However, ordinary readers often overlook the actions of Yingning in the latter half of the story, as well as another passage from the "Historian of the Strange's Commentary": "And as for the mischievous prank beneath the wall, what greater cunning could there be? Yet when she sorrowfully clung to her ghostly mother, turning laughter into tears, my Yingning was one who concealed herself within laughter." The latter half of the tale highlights Yingning's chastity and filial piety, though there is some rupture in the logic of her character, which may displease modern readers; yet only by uniting the first and second halves of the story can Yingning's character be complete, and only by heeding this passage from the "Historian of the Strange's Commentary" can we fully comprehend Pu Songling's stance in shaping this figure.
The descriptions of scenery in "Yingning" are painted with clear and pure colors, sketching natural and vivid pastoral landscapes, which effectively highlight Yingning's character of "natural beauty unadorned," and also reveal the natural environment that gave rise to her disposition.