Original Text
When Su Zhenxia, a provincial graduate, was taking his afternoon nap, his father saw a human head emerging from the ground, as large as a bushel, spinning incessantly beneath the bed. Startled by this vision, he fell ill and eventually died. Later, his second son, while spending the night with a wanton woman, met with a fatal calamity—could this have been the omen?
Commentary
This story of just over fifty characters is written with concise clarity, yet it sways with vivid charm.
As a collection of short stories, "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" varies greatly in length and complexity. Some are richly detailed, sparing no ink in their vivid descriptions, while others are concise and clear, valuing every word. In terms of overall arrangement, the volumes are organized chronologically, but within each volume, the pacing of reading is also considered. As Feng Zhenluan remarked in his commentary on this tale: "Short pieces do not shine as brightly as longer ones, yet their narrative is clean and succinct, their style elegant and refined. It is like a traveler in the mountains: just as one peak is passed, another opens before him. At such a moment, one cannot but take a path over a small bridge or along a winding bank, by shallow waters and sandy flats. Though the previous mountain is not far behind, and the soul has barely settled, the next mountain arrives, demanding fresh attention and effort. It may not command great focus, yet it does not spoil the pleasure. Moreover, each bridge, each bank, each stretch of water and sand is no mere desolate wilderness. On a cool evening after a bath, beneath a trellis of bean flowers, fan in hand, recounting twists and turns, the delight is by no means shallow."