Original Text
There was a farmer named Yu Jiang, whose father had been sleeping in the fields one night and was tragically devoured by a wolf. Yu Jiang was only sixteen at the time; he picked up the shoes his father had left behind and was overcome with grief. That night, after his mother had fallen asleep, Yu Jiang took a large iron hammer and quietly slipped out of the house, making his way to the fields. He lay down at the very spot where his father had met his end, waiting for an opportunity to avenge him. Before long, a wolf approached, pacing around Yu Jiang, sniffing here and there, but Yu Jiang remained utterly still. After a while, the wolf began to brush its fluffy tail across Yu Jiang's forehead, then gradually lowered its head to lick his thigh, yet Yu Jiang did not move. Soon, the wolf leaped joyfully before him, about to bite his neck, when Yu Jiang suddenly swung his hammer and struck the wolf's head, killing it instantly. He sprang up and hid the wolf's carcass in the grass. Soon another wolf arrived, behaving just like the first—sniffing, brushing, then preparing to bite—and Yu Jiang killed it as well. By then it was midnight, and no more wolves appeared. A sudden drowsiness overcame him, and Yu Jiang dozed off, dreaming that his father said to him, "You have killed two wolves, which is enough to vent my hatred. But the wolf that led the attack on me had a white nose; neither of these two is that one." Upon waking, Yu Jiang persisted in lying there, waiting for the white-nosed wolf. He waited until dawn, but it never came. He thought of dragging the dead wolves home but feared startling his mother, so he threw them into a dry well before returning. The next night, he went back to the fields and waited again, but found nothing. This continued for three or four more nights. Suddenly, a wolf came, seized Yu Jiang by the foot, and dragged him along. After only a few steps, thorns pierced his flesh and stones scraped his skin, but Yu Jiang endured it, motionless as a corpse. The wolf then dropped him and prepared to bite his belly. Yu Jiang suddenly leaped up, raised his hammer, and struck the wolf fiercely. The wolf fell, and Yu Jiang struck it several more times until it was dead. Only then did he examine the wolf closely—it indeed had a white nose. Overjoyed, Yu Jiang hoisted the wolf onto his shoulders and returned home, where he finally told his mother the whole story of his revenge. His mother wept as she followed him to the scene, and Yu Jiang pulled the two wolf carcasses from the dry well.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: Among the sons of rustic farming households, there unexpectedly appears such an extraordinary figure! His chivalrous valor and fierce resolve spring forth from his innate filial devotion and passionate nature; not only is he bold and fearless, but his wisdom is also truly exceptional!
Commentary
This story tells of a farmer's son named Yu Jiang, whose father was devoured by wolves, and how he avenged his father by killing four wolves in succession. Though the locations, times, tools, and methods Yu Jiang used to slay the wolves were largely similar and followed a continuous pattern, Pu Songling rendered the narrative with vivid detail and rich emotional coloring, weaving the tale with such varied and graceful prose that after reading it, one cannot help but feel profound respect for the protagonist's filial piety. Moreover, although the story is simple, it is never monotonous; its twists and turns captivate the reader, making it a tale one could read a hundred times without ever growing weary.