Original Text
In Zhili, there was a wealthy family that wished to engage a tutor. One day, a scholar suddenly came to their door and recommended himself. The host invited him inside, and the scholar spoke with a refreshing frankness, so the two conversed very pleasantly. The scholar claimed his surname was Hu, and the host engaged him as a tutor. Hu taught with great diligence and possessed profound knowledge, far beyond that of an ordinary scholar. However, Hu often went out on excursions, sometimes not returning until midnight, and though the doors were securely locked and no sound of knocking was heard, he would already be inside the room. The host was greatly astonished and suspected that he must be a fox spirit. But seeing that Hu harbored no ill intentions, he nonetheless treated him with generous courtesy and did not fail in propriety due to the strangeness.
Hu Sheng knew that the host had a daughter, so he sought her hand in marriage, repeatedly hinting at his intentions, but the host pretended not to understand. One day, Hu Sheng asked for leave and departed. The next day, a guest came to visit, tying a black donkey at the gate. The host invited the guest inside. This guest was about fifty years old, dressed neatly, with a calm and refined demeanor. After the guest was seated, he explained his purpose, and it turned out he had come to act as a matchmaker for Hu Sheng. The host remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I and Mr. Hu are already close friends; why must we become related by marriage? Besides, my daughter is already betrothed to another. Please convey my apologies to Mr. Hu." The guest replied, "I know for certain that your daughter is still awaiting a match; why are you so adamant in refusing?" He pleaded repeatedly, but the host would not agree. The guest, embarrassed, said, "Mr. Hu is also from a distinguished family; is he not worthy of you?" The host then spoke bluntly, "It is not for any other reason; I simply detest that he is not human." Upon hearing this, the guest grew furious, and the host also became angry; they exchanged insults, escalating in intensity. The guest rose and grabbed the host, who ordered his servants to drive him away with clubs. The guest then fled, leaving the donkey behind. Upon closer inspection, this donkey was covered in black fur, with pointed ears and a long tail, a massive creature. Yet when they tried to lead it, it would not move; when they pushed it, it fell to the ground and turned into a chirping grasshopper.
From the master's angry words, the guests knew they would seek revenge, so he ordered his household to strengthen their defenses. The next day, indeed, a great host of fox soldiers poured in, with cavalry and infantry, some bearing halberds, others drawing bows, with men shouting and horses neighing in a fearsome display. The master was so terrified he dared not leave his door. The fox soldiers threatened to burn the house, deepening his fear. But a brave and sturdy servant led the household retainers in a shouting charge, hurling stones and shooting arrows, and a fierce battle ensued with losses on both sides. Gradually, the fox soldiers could not hold their ground and retreated in disorder. Their war knives lay fallen on the ground, gleaming like frost or snow; when approached and picked up, they proved to be nothing but sorghum leaves. The retainers laughed, saying, "Their prowess is no more than this!" Yet, fearing the fox soldiers might return, they became even more vigilant. The next day, as the retainers gathered talking, a giant suddenly descended from the sky, over ten feet tall and several spans wide, brandishing a great sword like a door panel, chasing men to cut them down. The retainers pelted him wildly with stones and arrows, and the giant fell dead, revealing himself to be a funeral straw effigy. The retainers grew even more confident of easily defeating the fox soldiers. For three days the fox soldiers did not come, and the retainers' vigilance slackened somewhat. On that day, as the master happened to be in the privy, he suddenly saw fox soldiers with bows and arrows approaching, and a volley of arrows struck, all hitting his buttocks. In great alarm, he hastily called the retainers to fight, and only then did the fox soldiers withdraw. When the arrows were pulled from his buttocks, they turned out to be stalks of wormwood. Thus, the two sides held each other in check for over a month, with the fox soldiers coming and going unpredictably. Though they caused no great harm, the master found it most vexing to be on constant alert day after day.
One day, Hu Sheng led his fox soldiers in an attack. The master personally went out to meet them in battle, and upon seeing him, Hu Sheng concealed himself among the fox troops. The master called out for him to come forth, and with no other choice, Hu Sheng emerged. The master said, "I myself believe I have done nothing to wrong you, sir; why must we resort to arms?" The fox soldiers were about to shoot the master, but Hu Sheng stopped them. The master stepped forward, took Hu Sheng by the hand, and invited him to his former study, where he prepared wine and food to entertain him. The master said calmly, "You are a man of reason, sir, and surely you can understand me. Given the deep friendship between us, would I not wish to form a marital bond with you? But your carriages and dwellings are mostly unlike those of humans; if I were to let my daughter follow you, you must know it would be improper. Moreover, the proverb says, 'A forced melon is not sweet.' Why do you act thus, sir?" Hu Sheng was deeply ashamed. The master said, "It is nothing; our former relationship remains intact. If you do not disdain the vulgarity of us mortals, I have a younger son, now fifteen years old, who would gladly become your son-in-law. I wonder if you have a young lady of suitable age and appearance to match him?" Hu Sheng said joyfully, "I have a younger sister, one year younger than your son, whose character and looks are quite fine. Would it be acceptable for her to serve your son?" Upon hearing this, the master rose and bowed in thanks, and Hu Sheng returned the bow. Then the two drank and conversed happily, all past grievances dispelled. The master also ordered a feast to reward Hu Sheng's subordinates, and all ranks were joyful and content. The master intended to ask for Hu Sheng's address in detail, to prepare for the betrothal on a future day, but Hu Sheng did not tell him. As night fell, they lit lamps and continued drinking until both were thoroughly drunk, and then Hu Sheng departed. From that time on, peace prevailed.
After more than a year had passed, Hu did not come again. Some suspected that the marriage agreement he had promised was false, but the host insisted on waiting for him. Another half year went by, and suddenly Hu arrived. After exchanging pleasantries, he said, "My younger sister has now grown up. Please select an auspicious day, and I will send her to serve your parents." The host was overjoyed, and Hu together with the host settled on the wedding date before taking his leave. That very night, indeed a carriage and sedan chair delivered the bride, with a dowry so lavish it nearly filled the bridal chamber. The bride paid her respects to her parents-in-law, appearing exceedingly beautiful and gentle, and the host was greatly delighted. Hu and a younger brother came to escort the bride; both brothers spoke with great elegance and were fond of wine, not departing until dawn. The bride could also foretell the year's harvest and famine, so all household affairs and livelihoods were managed according to her advice. Thereafter, Hu's brothers and their mother often came to visit her, and everyone had seen them.
Commentary
The plot of this story is relatively simple, possessing a fairy-tale quality. Particularly amusing are the fox soldiers who ride "chirping grasshoppers" as their mounts, wield "sorghum leaves" as their broadswords, shoot "wormwood stalks" as arrows, and summon a giant who turns out to be a scarecrow, all of which are irresistibly chuckle-worthy.
In "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," there are many stories of romantic unions between humans and foxes, but this is the only one where the two sides, human and fox, are clearly demarcated, their identities distinct, and they engage in marriage negotiations. It can thus be regarded as a philosophical exploration of human-fox matrimony. The tale tells of a master who hires a fox as a tutor for his family; the fox tutor takes a fancy to the master's daughter and sends a fox matchmaker to propose marriage. The master refuses, and the fox tutor, enraged and humiliated, leads a troop of foxes to cause trouble and issue threats. Amidst a stalemate with alternating victories and defeats, the fox and the human enter into negotiations. During these talks, the master clearly states the reason for his refusal: because the fox's "carriages, horses, mansions, and chambers are mostly unlike those of humans." Yet the outcome of the negotiations is unexpected: though the master refuses to marry his daughter to the fox tutor, he agrees to let his son wed the fox tutor's sister, thus resolving the fox's desire to "gladly form a marital bond."
A man may take a fox-woman as his wife, but why can he not give his own daughter in marriage to a fox? If we examine the many tales of human and fox unions in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, it is indeed true that a man may wed a fox-woman, yet a man's daughter will never accept a fox-man. Beneath this unspoken rule lies a folk psychology of the Han people that merits deep reflection.