Original Text
In Yishui there was a man named Zhao, who one day, returning from town on business, saw a woman dressed in white weeping by the roadside with particular sorrow. Zhao glanced at her and saw that she was exceedingly beautiful; unable to suppress his admiration, he halted and gazed at her for a long time. The woman, her face streaming with tears, said, "Sir, why do you not press on your journey, and what is it you see in me?" Zhao replied, "I see this desolate wilderness without a soul, and you weeping so grievously—it truly moves one's heart." The woman said, "My husband has died, and I have no path left to me; it is for this that I mourn." Zhao urged her to seek a good husband and remarry, but she answered, "I am so utterly alone—what choice have I? If I could find someone to entrust my life to, even as a concubine I would be content." Zhao gladly offered himself, and the woman agreed to go with him. Zhao said the distance was too great and that he would hire a carriage, but the woman replied, "There is no need." She then went ahead, gliding as swiftly as a hastening immortal. When she arrived at Zhao's home, she managed the household with great diligence. After more than two years, one day she said to Zhao, "Out of gratitude for your affection, I followed you at first, and before I knew it, three years have passed. Now the time has come for me to depart." Zhao said, "You once said you had no home—where will you go now?" The woman replied, "That was but a casual remark; how could I have no home? My father sells medicines in the city of Jinling. If you wish to see me again, you may transport some medicines there, and I can help you earn some profit." Zhao made preparations for her departure and even hired a carriage for her, but the woman said it was unnecessary and, stepping out, went straight away. Zhao tried to follow but could not catch up, and in an instant her shadow had vanished.
After a long time, Zhao grew deeply nostalgic for the woman, so he purchased a batch of medicinal herbs and journeyed to Jinling. Having lodged his goods at an inn, he roamed the market streets in search of her whereabouts. Suddenly, an old man in a pharmacy caught sight of him and said, "My son-in-law has arrived." With these words, he invited Zhao into the shop. The woman was in the courtyard washing clothes; upon seeing Zhao, she neither spoke nor smiled but merely continued her washing with bowed head. Zhao, enraged, turned to leave the courtyard, but the old man forcibly pulled him back. The woman remained as before, showing not the slightest sign of acknowledgment. The old man bade her prepare a meal and set out wine, intending to bestow a generous gift upon Zhao. The woman stopped him, saying, "This man's fortune is too meager; giving him too much would be beyond his capacity to bear. It would be best to lightly reward his toil, and then select a dozen or so medicinal prescriptions for him, which will suffice to keep him well provided for all his days." The old man asked where the herbs Zhao had transported were, and the woman replied, "I have already sold them on his behalf; the money is here." The old man then handed both the prescriptions and the silver to Zhao and saw him off on his journey home. When Zhao tried these prescriptions, they proved marvelously effective. Even now, there are those in Yishui County who know of these formulas. For instance, using the rainwater collected from a thatched eave dripping into a garlic mortar to wash off warts on the body is one such remedy, and its efficacy is particularly remarkable.
Commentary
The classical Chinese tales of the Zhi Ren tradition, having evolved from historical biographical literature, often possess a relative clarity in their narratives. However, in this tale, the identity of the woman from Jinling remains ambiguous—whether she is human, immortal, ghost, or fox spirit, and whether she is affectionate or indifferent, is utterly inscrutable. Zhao, a resident of Yishui, fails to see the true face of Mount Lu; readers cannot clearly explain or articulate it, and the author himself wanders freely in his brushwork, never revealing the truth, merely recounting what Zhao of Yishui saw and encountered. Wang Yuyang sighed, saying, "This woman is utterly abrupt!" Yet it is precisely this that leaves an unforgettable impression of the Jinling woman's image. Is this not perhaps exactly what the author wished to impart to his readers?