Original Text
A man named Yin Tunan of Wuchang once owned a villa, which was rented by a scholar for half a year without Yin ever inquiring about him. One day, Yin encountered the scholar at the gate and saw that he was very young, with elegant and refined attire, carriage, and horse, and a graceful demeanor. Yin approached and conversed with him, finding him gentle, generous, and endearing. Yin thought him extraordinary and returned home to tell his wife, who sent a maid on the pretext of preparing gifts to spy on the scholar's household. The maid discovered that the scholar's wife was a beauty surpassing even immortals, and the room was filled with rare flowers, strange stones, garments, and treasures never seen or heard of before. Unable to fathom the scholar's background, Yin presented his name card and sought an audience, but the scholar was out. The next day, the scholar promptly returned the visit. Upon opening the name card, Yin learned his name was Yu De. During their conversation, Yin pressed Yu about his family origins, but Yu's answers were evasive and ambiguous. After repeated questioning, Yu said, "If you wish to befriend me, I dare not refuse unilaterally, but you should know that I am neither a thief nor a fugitive. Why must you press me to reveal my origins?" Yin apologized, then ordered a feast to entertain him, and they chatted and laughed joyfully until dusk, when two Kunlun slaves led a horse and carried lanterns to escort Yu away.
The next day, Yu De sent a brief note inviting Yin Tunan to his home. When Yin Tunan arrived, he saw that the four walls of the room were all papered with bright, glossy paper, as clear and clean as a mirror. A golden lion-shaped censer burned a precious, rare incense. A vase of green jade held two phoenix-tail and two peacock feathers, each over two feet long. A crystal vase contained a tree of pink flowers, whose name was unknown, also about two feet tall, with drooping branches that cast shade over the table and beyond, its leaves sparse and blossoms dense, still in bud, the flowers resembling butterflies that had folded their wings after touching water, and the stems like butterfly antennae. The feast had only eight dishes, yet they were extraordinarily rich and exquisite. When they took their seats, Yu De ordered a young servant to perform the drinking game of beating the drum to hasten the flowers. As the drum sounded, the flowers in the crystal vase began to tremble and were about to bloom; soon, the butterfly-wing-like petals gradually opened. Then the drumming ceased, and with a deep, heavy beat, the butterfly-antenna-like stems suddenly withered, instantly transforming into a butterfly that flew onto Yin Tunan's garment. Yu De rose with a smile and poured a large cup of wine; Yin Tunan drained the cup, and the butterfly flew away. Shortly, the drum sounded again, and two butterflies both landed on Yu De's hat. Yu De laughed and said, "I have trapped myself by my own spell." So he also drank two cups. After the drum beat three times, petals scattered wildly, drifting down, covering the sleeves and lapels of both men. The young servant who beat the drum came forward with a smile to count the scores of how many petals each had received; the result was that Yin Tunan should drink nine cups, and Yu De four. Yin Tunan was already slightly drunk and could not finish the full number; he forced down three cups, then fled from the table. From then on, he regarded Yu De as even more of a marvel.
However, Yu De was not fond of socializing; he often kept his door closed and lived in solitude, having no dealings with neighbors in matters of weddings, funerals, or celebrations. Yin Tunan spread word of his experiences to everyone he met, and upon hearing of such marvels, people vied with one another to befriend Yu De, so that the gate of his home was constantly thronged with visiting dignitaries. Yu De grew greatly annoyed and suddenly took his leave of Yin Tunan and departed. After Yu De left, Yin Tunan entered his house and found the empty courtyard swept clean without a speck of dust, candle grease piled beneath the bluestone steps, and scattered bits of cloth and broken threads by the window still bearing the imprint of fingers. Only behind the house was left a small white stone vat, about large enough to hold a picul of grain. Yin Tunan brought the vat home and filled it with water to keep goldfish. For a whole year, the water in the vat remained as clear as when first poured. Later, a servant accidentally broke the vat while moving a stone, yet the water still held together without spilling. At first glance, the vat seemed unbroken, but when touched, it felt hollow and soft, as if the vat were no longer there. Reaching a hand into the water, the water would overflow with the hand's entry, and when the hand was withdrawn, the water would close up again. This water did not freeze even in winter. One night, the water suddenly crystallized into a solid, yet the fish still swam within. Yin Tunan, fearing outsiders would learn of it, kept it hidden in a secret chamber, showing it only to his sons and sons-in-law, and no one else. Over time, word gradually spread, and those who wished to see it came in droves, filling his home. On the night of the Winter Solstice festival, the crystal suddenly turned back to water, soaking the floor, and the fish vanished as well. The remaining fragments of the vat still lay there. Suddenly, a Taoist priest came to the door demanding to see it. Yin Tunan showed him the broken pieces, and the priest said, "This is a vessel for storing water from the Dragon Palace." When Yin Tunan recounted the marvel of the vat breaking without the water spilling, the priest said, "That is because the vat had a soul." He then eagerly begged for a small piece of the broken stone. When Yin Tunan asked what use it would serve, the priest replied, "Grinding this stone's dust into medicine, when consumed, can grant longevity." Yin Tunan gave him a piece, and the priest thanked him joyfully and departed.
Commentary
This is a work depicting the refined leisure pursuits of scholar-officials, akin to works like "Records of the Investigation of Things," yet threaded through with a central character. In this tale, Yu De is elegant and free from vulgarity, reserved and endearing, his character complementing and enhancing the precious curios he treasures, each bringing out the best in the other.
To describe elegant objects for refined appreciation requires not only taste but also broad vision and extensive experience. As a poor scholar, Pu Songling possessed taste but lacked such experience. Due to his limited background, when writing about the lavish lives of wealthy merchants and high officials in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, he often struggled and occasionally revealed a parochial air. Yet when depicting specific objects and appearances through imagination, he fully displayed the romantic and delicate strengths of his prose. The tale "Yu De" focuses on describing "flowers, stones, garments, and playthings"; its portrayal of interior decoration is not particularly outstanding and somewhat scattered, but the pink flower tree and small white stone jar are full of vitality. Whether depicting the mysterious rhythm of beating a drum while passing a flower, or the ethereal presence of the small white stone jar and its water, all are vividly portrayed and captivating.