Original Text
In Guangdong there was a wealthy official surnamed Fu, who at over sixty years of age fathered a son named Lian, exceptionally clever but born with an incomplete male organ, which by the age of seventeen was no larger than a silkworm; all near and far knew of this, and no one was willing to marry their daughter to him, and Fu Lian himself, fearing the end of his family line, was consumed with worry day and night, yet could do nothing about it.
Fu Lian was studying under a tutor, when one day the tutor happened to go out on business. Just then, a monkey performer appeared outside the gate, and Fu Lian went to watch, thus neglecting his studies. Calculating that the tutor would soon return, he grew fearful and ran away from home. A few li from his house, he saw a young woman in white, accompanied by a maidservant, walking ahead. The woman turned her head, and Fu Lian saw that she was incomparably bewitching. She moved with slow, delicate steps, and Fu Lian quickened his pace to catch up. The woman looked back at the maidservant and said, "Try asking the young gentleman if he is going to Hainan Island." The maidservant indeed called out to Fu Lian to inquire. Fu Lian asked what business she had, and the woman said, "If you are going to Hainan Island, I have a letter I would trouble you to deliver to my home along the way. My aged mother is at home and can also play host to you." Fu Lian had left home with no fixed destination, and thinking that crossing the sea would be fine, he agreed. The woman produced the letter and gave it to the maidservant, who then handed it to Fu Lian. Fu Lian asked for her name and address, and the woman said, "My surname is Hua, and I live in Qinv Village, about three or four li north of the city."
Fu Lian took a boat and set off, arriving north of Qiongzhou City as the sun had already set. He inquired about Qin Nu Village, but no one knew of it. Gazing northward from the city for four or five li, the stars and moon now hung high, wild grasses grew thick and tangled, and in the vast wilderness there was not a single inn to be found—truly a dire predicament. Fu Lian spotted a grave by the roadside and thought to rest against it, but fearing tigers and wolves, he instead climbed a tree, crouching on a branch like a monkey. The rustling of pines and the mournful chirping of night insects stirred his heart with unease, and regret burned within him like fire. Suddenly, he heard voices below; looking down, he saw what seemed a courtyard, where a beautiful woman sat on a stone, with two maids holding lanterns standing in attendance. The woman said to the maid on her left, "Tonight the moon is bright and the stars are few; brew a cup of the tuocha tea that Hua Gu gave us, and let us enjoy this fine night." Fu Lian realized these must be spirits, and his hair stood on end; he dared not breathe loudly. Suddenly, a maid looked up and said, "There is someone in the tree!" The woman started up, exclaiming, "What bold fellow dares to spy on others in the dark?" Fu Lian, terrified and with no escape, could only twist and turn as he climbed down from the tree, prostrating himself on the ground to beg for mercy. The woman approached and looked at him, and her anger turned to joy; she pulled him up and made him sit beside her. Fu Lian cast a sidelong glance and saw she was about seventeen or eighteen, with a beauty surpassing all. Her speech, too, was not of the local dialect. The woman asked, "Where is the young gentleman going?" Fu Lian replied, "I am delivering a letter for someone." The woman said, "The wilderness is full of robbers, and sleeping outdoors is fraught with danger. If you do not disdain my humble thatched cottage, I hope you will rest at my home." With that, she invited Fu Lian inside.
Inside the room there was only one bed, and the young woman ordered the maid to spread two quilts. Fu Lian, feeling ashamed of his own inadequacy, proposed that he sleep on the floor. The beauty smiled and said, "Meeting a fine guest, how could I, like Chen Yuanlong of the Three Kingdoms, sleep alone on a high couch?" Fu Lian had no choice but to share the bed with the woman, yet he was so fearful and uneasy that he dared not stretch out his limbs. After a short while, the woman secretly slipped her small hand into Fu Lian's quilt, gently stroking his leg; Fu Lian pretended to be asleep, as if unaware. A little later, she lifted the quilt and crept in, shaking Fu Lian, but he still did not move. The woman then reached her hand to his private parts, felt his lower body, and her hand paused in dismay; she quietly slipped out of the quilt, and soon began to weep. Fu Lian was both anxious and ashamed, feeling utterly mortified, only regretting that Heaven had made him physically deficient. The woman called for the maid to light the lamp; the maid, seeing tears on her face, asked in surprise what grievance she had suffered. The woman shook her head and said, "I lament my own ill fate." The maid stood by the bed, observing her expression, and the woman said, "Wake him up and let him go." Upon hearing this, Fu Lian felt even more ashamed and guilty, and also feared that in the dead of night, the vast wilderness offered no place to go.
As she was pondering this, a woman pushed open the door and entered. The maid called out, "Madam Hua has arrived." Fu Lian secretly observed her; she appeared to be about fifty years old, yet still retained some of her former charm. Madam Hua saw that the beauty had not yet slept and began to question her, but the beauty made no reply. Noticing someone lying on the bed, she asked, "Who is that sharing the bed with you?" The maid answered on her behalf, saying, "A young gentleman came last night seeking lodging." Madam Hua laughed and said, "I did not know that Qiao Niang had already married." Seeing that Qiao Niang's tears had not yet dried, she asked in surprise, "On the night of the wedding, one should not weep with sorrow. Has the young gentleman been too rough with you?" Qiao Niang remained silent and only grew more distressed. Madam Hua then tried to lift Fu Lian's clothing to examine him, but as she shook the garment, a letter fell onto the bed. Picking it up, she exclaimed in shock, "This is my daughter's handwriting!" She opened and read the letter, sighing repeatedly. Qiao Niang asked her what was the matter, and Madam Hua said, "It is a letter from San Jie, saying that Wu Lang has died, leaving her alone and destitute with no one to rely on. What is to be done?" Qiao Niang replied, "He originally said he was delivering a letter for someone; fortunately, we have not yet let him leave."
Hua Gu called Fu Lian to rise and inquired where the letter had come from, and Fu Lian told her everything. Hua Gu said, "You have traveled a long distance to deliver this letter; how should I repay you?" She then scrutinized him closely and asked with a smile, "How did you offend Qiao Niang?" Fu Lian replied, "I do not know." Hua Gu then questioned Qiao Niang, who sighed and said, "I grieve for myself; in life I was wed to a man like a eunuch, and in death I have encountered one similar, hence my sorrow." Hua Gu glanced at Fu Lian and said, "You clever imp, are you truly a man in form but a woman in substance? You are my guest, and I cannot have you troubling others endlessly." So she led Fu Lian into the eastern chamber, reached into his trousers and felt about, then laughed, saying, "No wonder Qiao Niang weeps. But fortunately there is a root, and it can still be cultivated." She lit a lamp, searched through all the boxes and chests, found a black pill, and gave it to Fu Lian, instructing him to swallow it, and bade him not to stir, then departed. Fu Lian lay alone pondering, not knowing what ailment the pill was meant to cure. Near the fifth watch, as he just awoke, he felt a wisp of warmth below his navel, rushing straight to his private parts, and something wriggled as if dangling between his thighs; when he touched it himself, his lower body had become that of a full-grown man. His heart was filled with astonishment and joy, as if he had just received the highest honors of a noble investiture.
The window paper had just turned pale with dawn when Hua Gu entered, bringing some baked cakes for Fu Lian to eat, and instructed him to sit patiently, then locked the door from the outside and left. Coming out, she said to Qiao Niang, "That lad has the merit of delivering a letter; let him stay here to await the arrival of Third Miss, so they may pledge sisterly friendship. For now, I shall confine him inside to avoid any annoyance." With that, she departed. Fu Lian paced about the room in utter boredom, occasionally approaching the crack in the door, peering out like a bird from its cage. Spying Qiao Niang, he thought to call her over and curry favor, but shame deterred him. When night fell, Hua Gu finally returned, bringing Third Miss with her. She opened the door and said, "How stifling for the young gentleman! Third Miss has come to thank you." The one he had met on the road shuffled into the room and bowed to Fu Lian. Hua Gu bade them address each other as brother and sister. Qiao Niang laughed and said, "Sisters would do just as well." They all went to the main hall and sat drinking together. Amid the wine, Qiao Niang jestingly asked, "Does a eunuch’s heart stir at the sight of a beauty?" Fu Lian replied, "A lame man does not forget his shoes, nor a blind man his sight." They all exchanged knowing smiles.
Qiao Niang, citing San Niang's fatigue from the journey, insisted that she go and arrange for rest. Hua Gu cast a glance at San Niang, signaling her to accompany Fu Lian, but San Niang blushed and did not move. Hua Gu said, "This man is actually a woman; what is there to fear?" With that, she urged the two to go quickly together. She also privately instructed Fu Lian, saying, "In secret, you are my son-in-law, but in appearance, you must act as my son; that will suffice." Fu Lian was overjoyed and, embracing San Niang, went to bed, like a newly sharpened blade testing its edge for the first time, its swiftness easy to imagine. After the deed was done, Fu Lian asked by the pillow, "Who is Qiao Niang?" San Niang replied, "She is a ghost. Gifted in both talent and beauty, yet ill-fated. She was married to the youngest son of the Mao family, who, due to a defect, could not perform the marital act even at eighteen, and thus Qiao Niang lived in gloom and died of resentment." Fu Lian was startled, suspecting that San Niang was also a ghost. San Niang said, "To tell you the truth, I am not a ghost but a fox. Qiao Niang lived alone without company, and my mother and I had no home, so we borrowed her dwelling to stay." Fu Lian was greatly astonished, but San Niang said, "Do not be afraid; though they are ghosts and foxes, they do not intend to harm you." From then on, they ate, drank, and laughed together daily. Although Fu Lian knew Qiao Niang was not human, he admired her delicate beauty, only regretting that he had no chance to win her favor. Fu Lian was gentle and well-mannered, skilled in jesting, and thus earned much of Qiao Niang's affection.
One day, Mother Hua and her son went out, locking Fulian inside the house. Fulian grew restless, pacing around the room, and called out to Qiaoniang through the door. Qiaoniang ordered a maid to open the door, and after trying several keys, they finally succeeded. Fulian leaned close to Qiaoniang's ear and begged to be alone with her for a while, so Qiaoniang dismissed the maid. Fulian embraced Qiaoniang and fell onto the bed, pressing tightly against her. Qiaoniang teasingly reached for the area below his navel and said, "What a pity that such a fine man lacks something." Before she finished speaking, her hand touched something thick and full, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Why was it so tiny before, and now suddenly so large?" Fulian laughed and said, "Before, I was too shy to meet a guest, so it shrank away; now, because your mockery shames me, it has swelled like a frog in anger." Then they embraced each other warmly. After a while, Qiaoniang said angrily, "Now I understand why they locked you in the house. Before, when that mother and son had no place to stay and wandered everywhere, I lent them my home; and when Sanniang studied embroidery with me, I never grudged teaching her—yet they are so jealous!" Fulian tried to soothe her and told her the truth, but Qiaoniang still resented their behavior. Fulian said, "Don't speak of it; Huagu told me not to reveal it." Before he finished, Huagu pushed the door open and entered, and the two hastily rose. Huagu glared and asked, "Who opened the door?" Qiaoniang smiled and admitted it was her doing. Huagu grew even angrier and nagged endlessly. Qiaoniang deliberately sneered and said, "Old lady, you are too ridiculous! This man is no different from a woman—what can he do?" Sanniang, seeing her mother and Qiaoniang bitterly quarreling, felt uneasy and tried to mediate between them, eventually turning their anger into joy. Though Qiaoniang's words were sharp, she willingly humbled herself toward Sanniang. Yet because Huagu guarded against them day and night, Qiaoniang and Fulian could not fulfill their feelings, only exchanging longing glances.
One day, Hua Gu said to Fu Lian, "My third daughter and her sisters have already served you. Considering that it is not suitable to stay here long, you should return and inform your parents, so that the marriage contract may be settled early." Then she prepared the luggage and urged Fu Lian to set out. San Niang and Qiao Niang faced Fu Lian, their faces full of sorrow, and Qiao Niang, even more moved, shed tears like broken pearls rolling down, without ceasing. Hua Gu tried to console and stop them, then pulled Fu Lian away. When they reached the gate, the courtyard and houses suddenly vanished, leaving only a desolate grave mound. Hua Gu escorted Fu Lian to the boat and said, "After you leave, I will take the two girls to your hometown to rent a house and stay. If you do not forget the kindness of the past, you may come to the abandoned garden of the Li family to welcome the bride." Fu Lian then returned home.
At that time, Fu Lian's father had been searching for his son without success, growing increasingly anxious and distressed, but when he saw his son return, he was overjoyed beyond measure. Fu Lian briefly recounted his experiences and mentioned the marriage proposal from the Hua family. His father said, "How can you heed the words of a demon? That you managed to return alive is entirely due to your physical deficiency; otherwise, you would have perished long ago!" Fu Lian replied, "Though they are not human, their emotions are akin to those of people; moreover, they are clever and beautiful, and marrying one would not bring ridicule from relatives and friends." His father said nothing, merely scoffing at him. After Fu Lian withdrew from his father's chamber, unable to restrain himself due to his newfound capability, he grew restless and began to engage in secret affairs with a maidservant, gradually escalating to open dalliance in broad daylight, intending to startle his parents when they learned of it. One day, while Fu Lian was with the maidservant, a young maid witnessed it and hastily reported to his mother. His mother did not believe it, but upon closer observation, she was startled. She summoned the maidservant for inquiry and learned the full circumstances. Overjoyed, she spread the news to everyone, boasting of her son's restored manhood and seeking a match from a prominent family. Fu Lian privately told his mother, "I will marry none other than the Hua family's daughter." His mother said, "The world is not lacking in beautiful women; why must you take a ghostly bride?" Fu Lian replied, "If not for Hua Gu, I would never have known the ways of man and woman; to break the pact would be inauspicious." Fu Lian's father agreed with his son and dispatched a male servant and an elderly maidservant to investigate.
They walked out of the eastern city gate for four or five li and found the Li family garden, where amidst broken walls and bamboo groves, wisps of cooking smoke rose. The old maidservant alighted from the carriage and went straight to the door, where she saw a mother and son wiping tables and washing dishes, as if awaiting guests. The old maidservant performed the customary obeisance and conveyed her master's intentions. Upon seeing Third Lady, she exclaimed in surprise, "Is this our young mistress? Even I feel affection at the sight of her—no wonder the young master pines for her in his dreams!" Then she inquired about her elder sister. Hua Gu sighed and said, "She was my foster daughter. Three days ago, she suddenly passed away." With these words, she offered wine and food to the old maidservant and the manservant. When the old maidservant returned home, she lavishly praised Third Lady's appearance and demeanor, and Fu Lian's parents were greatly delighted. Only later did she mention the news of Qiao Niang's death, causing Fu Lian to weep in sorrow. On the night of his wedding, upon seeing Hua Gu, he personally inquired again about Qiao Niang's fate, and Hua Gu replied, "She has already been reborn in the northern lands." Fu Lian's heart ached with grief for a long time. He took Third Lady as his wife, yet he could never forget Qiao Niang; whenever anyone came from Qiongzhou, he would invariably summon them and ask for news.
Some say that at night, the ghostly weeping of Qin's daughter could be heard from her tomb. Fu Lian found this strange and went in to inform San Niang. San Niang pondered for a long time, then wept as she said, "I have wronged my elder sister!" When Fu Lian pressed her, she replied, "When my mother and I came here, we did not tell her. Could it be that she who weeps in resentment is my elder sister? I intended to tell you before, but feared revealing my mother's fault." Upon hearing this, Fu Lian turned from sorrow to joy. He immediately ordered the carriage to be prepared and traveled day and night without rest, swiftly reaching Qin's daughter's tomb. He knocked on the tree before the grave and called out loudly, "Qiao Niang, Qiao Niang! I am here." In a moment, he saw a young woman emerge from the tomb, holding a child in her arms. She raised her head, weeping bitterly, and gazed at Fu Lian with sorrowful resentment, while Fu Lian also shed tears. He looked at the infant in Qiao Niang's arms and asked whose child it was. Qiao Niang said, "This is the seed you left behind; it was born three months ago." Fu Lian sighed and said, "I was misled by Hua Gu's words, causing you and your child to suffer in the underworld—my guilt is inescapable!" Then they left the tomb together in the carriage, crossed the sea, and returned home. Fu Lian carried his son to inform his mother, who examined the child; he was robust in form, not like one born of a ghost, and she was even more delighted. Qiao Niang and San Niang lived in harmony and were filial to the elder. Later, Fu Lian's father fell ill and a physician was summoned. Qiao Niang said, "The illness cannot be cured; his soul has already left his body." She then urged preparations for funeral items, and once they were ready, the old man died. When Qiao Niang's son grew up, he greatly resembled his father and was exceptionally intelligent, passing the county-level examination at fourteen. Weng Zixia of Gaoyou heard this tale while traveling in Guangdong. The place name was not remembered, nor is the final outcome known.
Commentary
"Qiao Niang" and "Lian Xiang" seem to be companion pieces, both connected to Pu Songling's travels south to gather folk tales. In "Lian Xiang," it is written: "In the year Gengxu, I traveled south to Yi, was halted by rain, and rested at an inn. There was a young scholar named Liu Zijing, a relative by marriage, who brought out a biography of Scholar Sang written by Wang Zizhang of the same society, about ten thousand words, which I was able to read through. This is but a brief outline." In "Qiao Niang," it is said: "Old man Weng Zixia of Gaoyou, while a guest in Guang, heard of this. The place name was omitted, and the end is unknown." In "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," the love affairs between ghosts, foxes, and humans rarely feature both entities together; however, in "Qiao Niang" and "Lian Xiang," the female ghost and the fox maiden appear in collaboration, first jealous of each other, then mutually compassionate, and finally the scholar gains one ghost wife and one fox wife, living a blissful life.
Unlike the scholar Sang Xiao in "Lotus Fragrance," the scholar Fu in "The Clever Maiden" is a congenital eunuch, that is, impotent. But how could an impotent man encounter such a romantic adventure? It is precisely from this point of doubt that the story demonstrates its narrative skill, as the commentator of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Dan Minglun, remarked: "This tale seizes upon the word 'eunuch,' cleverly wielding the brush, with diction elegant yet not overly delicate, and the literary momentum excels in the beauty of rising and falling cadences."
Although the story of "Qiao Niang" is absurd and its plot involves vulgar elements, aside from its commendable literary technique, this piece has two indelible merits: first, the ghostly and fox-spirit characters are imbued with a rich sense of everyday life, showing both cooperation and scheming among them, especially Hua Gu as a mother, who is entangled in the conflict of interest between her daughter and Qiao Niang, depicted with great realism and vividness. Second, and most importantly, the work reflects the psychology of a specific social stratum, offering sympathy from a humanitarian standpoint to both the eunuch-like Fu Sheng and Qiao Niang, who was born to a eunuch and died fleeing a castrator, delicately portraying their tragic lives.