Original Text
In Jiaozhou there was a merchant named Xu who sailed across the sea to conduct business, when suddenly he encountered a storm at sea, and his merchant ship lost control and was blown away by the wind. When he opened his eyes to look, the boat had drifted to a shore, where the banks were covered with vast, dense mountain forests. Xu hoped to encounter native inhabitants, so he tied his boat to the shore, shouldered his dried provisions and dried meat, and went ashore. As he first entered the deep mountains, he saw that the cliffs on both sides were filled with numerous large and small caves, as densely packed as a beehive, and from within the caves came the faint sound of people speaking. Xu came to a cave, stopped to look inside, and saw two yaksas inside, their teeth jagged like rows of swords and halberds, their eyes protruding and flickering like lanterns; they were using their claws to tear apart a live deer, then devouring it raw. Seeing this, Xu was terrified out of his wits and hurriedly fled down the mountain, but the yaksas had already spotted him, immediately dropped the deer meat, and swiftly captured Xu into the cave. The two yaksas spoke like birds chirping and beasts roaring. They vied to tear Xu's clothes, as if about to swallow him into their bellies. Xu was frightened to death and quickly took out the dried provisions from his pocket, along with beef jerky, and offered them to eat. The two yaksas divided and ate them, finding them especially delicious, and after finishing, they came to search Xu's pocket again. Xu shook his hands to indicate there was none left. The yaksas became greatly enraged and seized Xu again. Xu pleaded with them, saying, "Release me, please. On my boat there is a cauldron, and I can cook meat and make dishes for you." The two yaksas did not understand what Xu was saying and remained furious. Xu had to gesture and mime again, until the yaksas seemed to understand a little. So the two yaksas followed Xu to the boat, retrieved the cooking utensils, and returned to the cave. Xu gathered some firewood, lit a fire, and cooked the leftover deer meat that the yaksas had not finished, offering it to them. The two yaksas ate with great delight. At night, the yaksas blocked the cave entrance with a large stone, as if afraid Xu might escape. Xu curled up his body and lay far away from the yaksas, deeply fearful that he would ultimately meet his doom.
After daybreak, the two yecha emerged from the cave, and before departing, they sealed the entrance once more. After a while, they returned, carrying a deer which they handed to Xu. Xu skinned the deer, fetched clear stream water from deep within the cave, and boiled the venison in several pots. Soon, several more yecha arrived, and they gathered together to devour the cooked meat. When they had finished, all the yecha pointed at the pots, seemingly dissatisfied with their small size. Three or four days later, one yecha came back carrying a large pot, much like those commonly used by humans. From then on, the yecha hunted wild wolves and elk from various places and gave them to Xu to cook. When the meat was done, they would even invite Xu to join them in eating. Thus passed several days, and gradually the yecha grew familiar with Xu, no longer blocking the cave entrance when they left, treating him as one of their own. As time went on, Xu began to grasp the meaning of their sounds and tones, and often mimicked their speech, uttering yecha language. The yecha were even more delighted, and so they brought a female yecha to be Xu's wife. At first, Xu was terrified and dared not approach her; but the female yecha took the initiative to show affection, and Xu eventually lay with her. The female yecha was overjoyed. She often set aside meat for Xu to eat, and they lived together like a harmonious and loving couple.
One day, the yecha rose particularly early, each wearing a string of bright pearls around its neck, and they went out one after another, as if to welcome some distinguished guest. The yecha ordered Xu to cook more meat. Xu asked the female yecha what was happening, and she said, "Today is the Heavenly Longevity Festival, the birthday of the Yecha King." The female yecha went out and said to the other yecha, "Xu Lang does not yet have a bone-bead necklace." So each yecha took five pearls from its own string and gave them to the female yecha, who also removed ten pearls from her own string, making a total of fifty. She twisted wild ramie into a cord, threaded the pearls onto it, and hung the necklace around Xu's neck. Xu saw that each pearl was worth a hundred or more taels of silver. After a while, all the yecha left the cave. Xu had just finished cooking the meat when the female yecha came to invite him out, saying, "Hurry and greet the Heavenly King." Xu followed her to a large cave, which was several acres in expanse. Inside, there was a huge stone, flat and smooth like a table, surrounded by stone stools. The chief seat was covered with a leopard skin, while the other stools were spread with deer skins. Twenty or thirty yecha sat in a circle in order. Shortly after, a sudden gale arose, dust and sand flying, and the yecha rushed out in panic. In response, a gigantic monster, resembling the yecha, strode directly into the cave, sat cross-legged on the leopard-skin seat, and scanned the surroundings with eyes like a sparrowhawk. The yecha followed him in, standing in two rows to the east and west, all looking up with arms crossed over their chests. The great yecha called the roll one by one and asked, "Are all the people of Womei Mountain here?" The yecha answered loudly. When the great yecha saw Xu, he asked, "Where does this one come from?" The female yecha said he was her husband. The other yecha then praised Xu's cooking skills, and in the midst of their talk, two or three yecha ran out, fetched the cooked meat Xu had prepared, and placed it on the great stone table. The great yecha grabbed it with his hands and ate his fill, praising the meat's fragrance highly, and ordered Xu to present it regularly from then on. The great yecha glanced at Xu and said, "Why is your bone-bead necklace so short?" The yecha replied for him, "He has just arrived and has not yet prepared one." The great yecha then removed his own necklace, took off ten pearls, and gave them to Xu. These ten pearls were extraordinary, each as large as a fingernail, round like pellets. The female yecha quickly took them, threaded them onto Xu's necklace, and hung it around his neck. Xu also crossed his arms over his chest and expressed thanks in the yecha language. The great yecha rose and departed, riding the wind, his steps swift as flying. After he left, the yecha swarmed forward, devoured all the leftover cooked meat, and then dispersed.
Xu had lived in the Kingdom of the Night Hag for over four years when the female night hag suddenly gave birth, delivering two sons and a daughter in one birth, all of whom resembled humans rather than their mother. The other night hags took a particular liking to these children and often gathered to play with them. One day, all the night hags had gone out to hunt for food, leaving Xu alone in the cave. Suddenly, a female night hag from another cave came and sought to have an illicit affair with Xu, but he refused her. Enraged, the female night hag knocked Xu to the ground. Just then, Xu's own female night hag returned from outside and, seeing the scene, flew into a violent rage. She charged at the intruder and fought with her, biting off one of the other night hag's ears. After a while, the intruder's husband also arrived, and once the matter was explained, Xu's female night hag let them go. From then on, the female night hag guarded Xu day and night, never leaving his side. Another three years passed, and the children learned to walk. Xu often taught them human speech, and gradually they picked up some words, their childish voices clearly carrying a human quality. Though still young, these three children could traverse mountains and valleys as if walking on level ground. They grew very close to Xu, often showing a deep father-son affection that bound them together.
One day, the female yaksha went out with her son and daughter, and after half a day had passed without their return. At that time, a fierce north wind was howling outside the cave, and Xu could not help but feel a desolate longing for his distant homeland. He took his son to the seashore, where he saw that the boat on which he had drifted years ago was still moored there, and so he discussed with his son the plan to return to their native place together. The son wished to inform his mother, but Xu did not allow him to do so. Thus, father and son boarded the boat, and after a day and a night, they arrived at Jiaozhou. When Xu reached home, his wife had already remarried. Xu took out two bright pearls, sold them for a vast sum of money, and thus his family became exceedingly wealthy. Xu named his son Xu Biao, and by the time he was fourteen or fifteen, he could lift a burden of a thousand catties, and his nature was rough and fond of fighting. The military commander of Jiaozhou, upon seeing Xu Biao, recognized him as a prodigy and appointed him as a Qianzong in the army. At that time, border conflicts were erupting, and Xu Biao achieved merit in every battle he fought. At the age of eighteen, he became a Deputy General in command of the military affairs of the region.
At that time, another merchant who had gone to sea on business also encountered a storm and drifted to the shores of Mount Womei. As soon as the merchant stepped ashore, he saw a young man and felt a secret start of surprise. The young man, knowing the merchant was Chinese, asked him where his homeland was. The merchant told him the truth. The young man then pulled him into a small stone cave in a secluded valley, its entrance overgrown with brambles, and warned him never to leave the cave. The young man left for a while and soon returned, bringing some venison for the merchant to eat. He told the merchant, "My father is also from Jiaozhou." When the merchant pressed further, he learned that the young man's father was none other than Xu, whom the merchant had known in his business dealings. So he said to the young man, "Your father is an old friend of mine. Now his sons have all become deputy generals." The young man did not understand what "deputy general" meant, and the merchant explained, "It is a Chinese official title." The young man then asked, "What is an official?" The merchant replied, "An official is one who rides in a carriage or sedan chair when going out, with gongs clearing the way; when entering his home, he sits high in the hall; when he shouts an order from above, a hundred men below answer in unison; no one dares to look him straight in the eye, let alone stand upright before him—such a person is called an official." The young man was filled with admiration upon hearing this. The merchant said, "Since your father is in Jiaozhou, why have you stayed here so long?" Thereupon, the young man told the merchant the whole story in detail. The merchant urged him to return south to his homeland of Jiaozhou, but the young man said, "I have often thought of that. Yet my mother is not Chinese; her speech and appearance differ from those of the Chinese; moreover, if my own kind were to discover me, I would surely be harmed. So after much deliberation, I still cannot decide." As the young man was leaving, he said to the merchant, "When the north wind blows, I will come to see you off. Please take a message to my father and brothers for me." The merchant stayed in the cave for nearly half a year. Sometimes, peeping through the thorns at the cave entrance, he saw many yaksas roaming the mountains, and his heart was filled with terror, so he dared not act rashly. One day, the north wind howled, and the young man suddenly came to the cave, pulling the merchant hastily to the shore. Before weighing anchor, the young man again urged the merchant, "Do not forget the matter I entrusted to you." The merchant promised. The young man also placed some meat on the table in the boat, and the merchant sailed away from the shore.
After the merchant's ship arrived directly at Jiaozhou, he went to the residence of Vice General Xu Biao and told him everything he had seen and heard. Upon hearing this, Xu Biao was overcome with grief and insisted on going to find his family. His father, Old Xu, feared that the sea winds were too fierce, the mountain demons too numerous, and the dangers too great to risk such an adventure, so he strongly tried to dissuade him. Yet Xu Biao remained inconsolable, beating his chest and weeping bitterly, and Old Xu could not stop him. Thus, Xu Biao reported the matter to the great general of Jiaozhou, then took two personal guards and set sail by boat. Unexpectedly, contrary winds hindered the vessel's normal course, and losing its bearings, the boat drifted on the sea for over half a month. Gazing around from the boat, Xu Biao saw nothing but boundless waters on all sides, with a vast haze nearby, making it impossible to distinguish east from west, north from south. Suddenly, monstrous waves rose to the heavens, and in an instant, Xu Biao's boat was overturned; he fell into the sea, bobbing up and down with the rolling billows. After an unknown time, Xu Biao felt as if something had seized him and dragged him to a place where there were actually some houses. Looking again, he saw that his rescuer was a monster, whose appearance resembled that of a Yaksa. Xu Biao conversed with it in the Yaksa tongue; the Yaksa was both startled and amazed, asking where he intended to go. Xu Biao told it he was heading for Mount Womei. The Yaksa said joyfully, "Mount Womei is my homeland. Just now, I offended you—truly a crime! But you are now eight thousand li from the old route to Mount Womei; the path ahead leads to the Poison Dragon Kingdom, not the way to Mount Womei." The Yaksa then found a boat to send Xu Biao on his way. The Yaksa pushed the boat through the water, and it sped forward like an arrow, covering a thousand li in the blink of an eye. After one night, the boat reached the northern shore of Mount Womei. From afar, Xu Biao saw a young man gazing out at the sea. Knowing that Mount Womei had no humans, he suspected the youth was his younger brother; drawing near, he saw it was indeed his brother. The two brothers clasped hands and wept bitterly. After a while, Xu Biao asked how his mother and younger sister were, and his brother said they were both safe and well. Xu Biao wanted to go with his brother to see them, but his brother stopped him and hurried away. Only then did Xu Biao turn back to thank the Yaksa who had escorted him, but the Yaksa had already disappeared without a trace.
Not long after, his mother and younger sister arrived, and upon seeing Xu Biao, they also wept bitterly. Xu Biao told his mother of his plan, and she said, "I fear we may be bullied there." Xu Biao replied, "Your son holds an official post in China, enjoying great honor and glory; no one would dare to bully you." Thus the decision to return to China was settled, but they were immediately troubled by the adverse wind that hindered their voyage across the sea. As the four of them hesitated in distress, they suddenly saw the sail of the boat billowing southward with a rustling sound. Xu Biao exclaimed joyfully, "Heaven truly aids me!" One after another, the four boarded the vessel, which sped over the waves like an arrow, churning up countless white foam. Three days later, Xu Biao's boat reached the coast of Jiaozhou. The people there were terrified and fled in all directions at the sight of them, so Xu Biao took off his own clothes and dressed his mother, brother, and sister. Upon arriving home, the she-demon raged at Xu the father, cursing him for leaving without consulting her; Xu repeatedly apologized. The household servants came forward to pay respects to their new mistress, all trembling with fear. Xu Biao urged his mother to learn Chinese, to wear silk and satin, and to accustom herself to Chinese cuisine, which brought great joy to everyone. The she-demon and her daughter had always worn men's clothing, similar in style to Manchu attire. After a few months, the she-demon could understand some Chinese, and the skin of the younger brother and sister gradually grew fairer.
The younger brother was named Xu Bao, and the younger sister was called Ye'er; both possessed extraordinary strength. Xu Biao often felt humiliated by his own lack of learning and propriety, so he made his brother study. Among the three siblings, Xu Bao was the most intelligent, and no matter the classics or histories, he never forgot anything after a single glance. Yet Xu Bao had no desire to become a scholar, so Xu Biao had him learn to draw a strong crossbow and master a spirited horse, training him in martial arts until he passed the military examinations and became a jinshi, even marrying the daughter of a certain Assistant Commander You. As for Xu Ye'er, because her mother was a yaksha, no one was willing to marry her. It happened that Yuan, a Major under Xu Biao's command, had lost his wife, so Xu Biao compelled him to take Xu Ye'er as his bride. Xu Ye'er could draw a bow of several hundred catties and shoot small birds from over a hundred paces away, never missing her mark. Whenever Major Yuan went on campaign, he often brought his wife Xu Ye'er along. Later, Yuan rose to the rank of Colonel, and half of his achievements were due to Xu Ye'er. At the age of thirty-four, Xu Bao was given a general's seal to lead an expedition, becoming the commander of the Green Standard Army in a province. The mother yaksha also followed Xu Bao on his southern campaigns; whenever they faced a formidable enemy, she would don armor, wield a halberd, and charge into the enemy ranks to rescue her son, causing the foes to flee in panic at the sight. The emperor issued an edict granting her the title of Baroness. Xu Bao submitted a memorial on his mother's behalf to decline the honor, so she was instead granted the title of Lady.
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: The matter of the Yaksha Lady is indeed a strange thing unheard of; yet upon careful reflection, it is nothing extraordinary—for at the bedside of every household, there sits a yaksha!
Commentary
In terms of the geographical region reflected in the work, this tale is the southernmost piece in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, recounting the extraordinary adventures of a merchant engaged in overseas trade.
Regarding the depiction of the Yaksha in this tale, many researchers have discussed the work's ethnic sentiments based on the detail that "the mother and daughter both wore men's attire, resembling Manchu customs." However, if considered from a broader perspective, this story likely represents the Chinese imagination and even caricature of "non-Chinese" people at the time—reflecting the simplistic worldview of the isolated common folk during the Ming and Qing dynasties, who still regarded themselves as the center of Chinese civilization. The countrymen are described as "speaking Chinese," "clad in brocade and weary of rich food," while overseas "non-Chinese" are depicted as having the appearance of Yakshas, speaking "like the cries of birds and beasts," and living a savage life, eating raw meat. Interestingly, when introducing Chinese culture to the Yaksha Kingdom, the countrymen focus on the concept of "what it means to be an official," stating: "When going out, one rides in a carriage or on horseback; when entering, one dwells in a lofty hall; above, a single call brings a hundred responses below; those who see him avert their eyes and stand aside with respect—this is what is called an official." Although this contains Pu Songling's satire, it also exposes the ugly side of Chinese feudal culture.