Original Text
Fan Shiyi was the daughter of the Libationer of Tianlu City, and from youth she was exceedingly beautiful, excelling especially in poetry and prose. Her parents doted on her, and whenever a suitor came, they allowed her to decide for herself, yet she rarely found any to her liking. It happened to be the fifteenth day of the first month, when the nuns of the Water Moon Temple held the Ullambana Festival. On that day, throngs of young women gathered like clouds, and Fan Shiyi also came to the temple. As she wandered about, a young woman followed closely at her heels, repeatedly glancing at her as if wanting to speak. Fan Shiyi looked carefully at the girl and saw that she was a peerless beauty of about sixteen. Taking a liking to her, Fan Shiyi turned back to gaze at her intently. The girl smiled slightly and said, "Sister, are you not Fan Shiyi?" Fan Shiyi replied, "I am." The girl said, "I have long heard of your fragrant name, and what people say is indeed true." Fan Shiyi then asked where she lived, and the girl answered, "My surname is Feng, and I am the third child, living in a neighboring village." She then took Fan Shiyi's arm and laughed, speaking in a gentle and graceful manner, so that the two grew deeply fond of each other, reluctant to part. Fan Shiyi asked, "Why are you without a companion?" Feng Sanniang said, "My parents died long ago, and at home there is only an old maid left to watch the house, so she could not come." When Fan Shiyi prepared to return home, Feng Sanniang gazed at her without blinking, nearly in tears, and Fan Shiyi too felt lost and forlorn, so she invited Feng Sanniang to visit her home. Feng Sanniang said, "Your house is a wealthy and noble one, and I have never been related to you by blood or marriage; I fear I would invite gossip and incur dislike." Fan Shiyi urged her repeatedly, and Feng Sanniang replied, "Let us wait for another time." Fan Shiyi then took a gold hairpin from her head and gave it to Feng Sanniang, who in turn took a green hairpin from her own bun and gave it in return. After Fan Shiyi returned home, she missed Feng Sanniang terribly. She took out the green hairpin and examined it closely, but it was neither metal nor jade, and none of her household could identify it, finding it very strange. Fan Shiyi daily hoped for Feng Sanniang's arrival, growing so melancholy that she fell ill. Her parents, learning the reason, sent people to inquire in all the neighboring villages, but no one knew of any Feng Sanniang.
It was then the ninth day of the ninth month, and Fan Shiyi, thin and languid with despair, had her maid support her as she forced herself to stroll in the garden, where a mat was spread beneath the chrysanthemum beds. Suddenly, a young woman peered over the wall; Fan Shiyi looked up and saw it was Feng Sanniang. Feng Sanniang called out, "Catch me quickly!" The maid did as bid, and Feng Sanniang leaped down at once. Fan Shiyi, startled and overjoyed, rose to her feet, drew Feng Sanniang to sit on the mat, and reproached her for breaking her promise, asking whence she came. Feng Sanniang replied, "My home is far from here, but I often visit my uncle's house. When I said before that I lived in a nearby village, I meant my uncle's home. After we parted, I missed you so bitterly. Yet a poor and lowly person, in dealing with the rich and noble, feels shame before even setting foot at the door, fearing the maids and servants would look down on me, so in the end I did not come. Just now, passing outside the wall, I heard a woman's voice, so I peered over to see if it might be you, and now my wish is fulfilled." Fan Shiyi then told of the source of her illness, and Feng Sanniang wept like rain, saying, "When I come, you must keep it secret. I fear that gossiping tongues will spread slander, unbearable to endure." Fan Shiyi promised to comply. She went with her into the house, where they shared a bed, and in joyful intimacy poured out their hearts, and soon her illness was cured. They became sworn sisters, even exchanging clothes and shoes. Whenever someone approached, Feng Sanniang would hide behind the bed curtains.
Thus passed five or six months in succession, when Lord Fan and his lady caught wind of certain rumors. One day, as the two were playing chess, the lady entered the room unexpectedly. She scrutinized Feng Sanniang closely and exclaimed in surprise, "She is most fitting to be my daughter's companion!" Then she said to Fan Shiyi Niang, "When a dear friend comes to the boudoir, we old folk are both delighted—why did you not tell us earlier?" Fan Shiyi Niang then relayed Feng Sanniang's intentions. The lady, gazing at Feng Sanniang, said, "To keep my daughter company brings me great joy—why must you conceal it?" Feng Sanniang's face flushed crimson with shame, and she silently twisted the hem of her garment. After the lady departed, Feng Sanniang sought to take her leave, but Fan Shiyi Niang pleaded earnestly for her to stay, and so she remained. One evening, Feng Sanniang rushed into the room in a panic, weeping, and said, "I told you I could not stay long, and now indeed I have suffered a grievous insult!" Fan Shiyi Niang asked in alarm what had happened, and Feng Sanniang replied, "Just now I went out to relieve myself, when a young man rudely accosted me. I barely escaped. After such a thing, how can I show my face?" Fan Shiyi Niang, after carefully inquiring about the man's appearance, apologized, saying, "Pray do not take offense—that was my foolish elder brother. I shall surely tell Mother and have him beaten with a rod." Feng Sanniang insisted on leaving, but Fan Shiyi Niang begged her to wait until dawn. Feng Sanniang said, "My uncle's house is very near; you need only send me over the wall with a ladder." Knowing she could not detain her, Fan Shiyi Niang ordered two maids to climb the wall and escort Feng Sanniang. After walking about half a li, Feng Sanniang thanked the maids and went on alone. When the maids returned, Fan Shiyi Niang lay prostrate on her bed, sighing in sorrow, as if parted from a husband and wife.
Several months later, a maidservant had business in the eastern village and, returning at night, encountered Feng Sanniang walking with an elderly woman. The maidservant, overjoyed, stepped forward to greet her with a bow. Feng Sanniang, with a sorrowful air, inquired after Fan Shiyi Niang's daily life. The maidservant tugged at Feng Sanniang's sleeve and said, "Third Miss, please come to our home. Our young lady longs for you to the point of death!" Feng Sanniang replied, "I too yearn for your young lady, but I am unwilling for your family to know of my visit. When you return, open the garden gate, and I will come of my own accord." The maidservant went back and told Fan Shiyi Niang, who joyfully followed the instructions, and by then Feng Sanniang had already arrived in the garden. The two met and recounted the pangs of their long separation, their affection so deep that sleep eluded them. Seeing the maidservant fast asleep, Feng Sanniang rose and moved close to Fan Shiyi Niang, sharing her pillow, and whispered, "I knew from the start that you were not yet betrothed. With your beauty, talent, and noble lineage, you need not worry about finding a husband of high rank, but those pampered sons of wealthy families are arrogant and rude, unworthy of consideration. If you seek a perfect match, do not judge by wealth or poverty." Fan Shiyi Niang found her words reasonable. Feng Sanniang continued, "At the place where we met last year, a religious ceremony is to be held again tomorrow. I urge you to go there, and I will let you see a man who is your ideal. Since childhood, I have studied the art of physiognomy, and my judgments seldom err."
At dawn, Feng Sanniang left the Fan residence, having arranged to wait for Fan Shiyi Niang at the temple. Fan Shiyi Niang indeed went there, and Feng Sanniang had already arrived. After strolling around and admiring the sights, Fan Shiyi Niang invited Feng Sanniang to ride home with her in the carriage. As they walked hand in hand out the gate, they saw a young scholar, about seventeen or eighteen years old, clad in a plain cloth robe without any adornment, yet his features were handsome and his bearing outstanding. Feng Sanniang pointed to the scholar secretly and said, "This man is worthy of entering the Hanlin Academy." Fan Shiyi Niang cast a brief glance at him. Feng Sanniang then bid farewell, saying, "You go ahead first; I will follow shortly." When dusk fell, Feng Sanniang indeed arrived at the Fan residence and said, "Just now I learned all the details; this man is Meng Anren from the same village." Fan Shiyi Niang, knowing that Meng Anren was very poor, considered him unsuitable. Feng Sanniang said, "How can you also fall into worldly prejudice! If this man remains poor and lowly forever, I will gouge out my own eyes and never again read faces for anyone under heaven." Fan Shiyi Niang asked, "Then what should be done?" Feng Sanniang replied, "I wish to have some token of yours to take to him and establish a betrothal." Fan Shiyi Niang said, "Sister, how can you be so hasty! My parents are still alive; what if they do not consent?" Feng Sanniang said, "I do this precisely because I fear they might not agree. If you are resolute, even death cannot change your determination!" Fan Shiyi Niang firmly refused. Feng Sanniang said, "Your fate in marriage has already stirred, but calamity has not yet been dispelled. I do this to repay your former friendship. Let me go at once and give the golden hairpin you bestowed upon me to Meng Anren in your name." As Fan Shiyi Niang was about to discuss further, Feng Sanniang had already left the house.
At that time, Meng Anren was of humble family background but outstanding talent, and he wished to choose a suitable spouse, so at eighteen he was still not betrothed. One day, he suddenly saw two beautiful women and could not stop thinking about them even after returning home. When the first watch was nearly over, Feng Sanniang knocked on his door and entered. Lighting a candle, he recognized her as one of the women he had seen during the day and joyfully inquired of her. Feng Sanniang said, "I am of the Feng family, a companion of Fan Shiyiniang." Meng Anren was overjoyed and, without time for detailed questions, immediately stepped forward to embrace Feng Sanniang. Feng Sanniang refused him, saying, "I am not Mao Sui recommending myself, but rather Cao Qiusheng introducing another. Fan Shiyiniang wishes to pledge a lifelong union with you; please send a matchmaker to propose." Meng Anren was greatly astonished and could not believe it. Feng Sanniang then showed him the golden phoenix hairpin. Unable to contain his joy, Meng Anren swore, "Having been so favored, if I cannot marry Shiyiniang, I will remain unmarried for life." Feng Sanniang then departed. At dawn, Meng Anren begged an elderly neighbor woman to visit Madam Fan, but Madam Fan, disdainful of Meng Anren's poverty, refused outright without even consulting her daughter. When Fan Shiyiniang learned of this, she was deeply disappointed and bitterly blamed Feng Sanniang for misleading her, but she could not reclaim the golden phoenix hairpin and thus vowed to keep her promise unto death. A few days later, the son of a local gentry sought her hand in marriage and, fearing the match might fail, asked the county magistrate to act as matchmaker. At that time, the gentry was powerful, and Master Fan, filled with fear, consulted Fan Shiyiniang about it; she expressed her unwillingness. Madam Fan asked why, but Fan Shiyiniang remained silent, only weeping, and secretly sent word to her mother that she would rather die than marry anyone but Meng Anren. Master Fan, even more angered by this, actually consented to the gentry's marriage proposal. Moreover, he suspected that Fan Shiyiniang and Meng Anren had a secret affair, so he chose an auspicious day to hasten the wedding. Fan Shiyiniang, enraged, refused to eat and lay in bed all day in a daze. On the night before the wedding procession, she suddenly rose from bed, looked into the mirror, and adorned herself. Madam Fan secretly rejoiced. Shortly after, a maidservant rushed in to report, "The young lady has hanged herself!" The entire household was shocked and wept bitterly, deeply regretting their actions, but it was too late. Three days later, the Fan family buried Fan Shiyiniang.
Ever since the neighbor's old woman returned and recounted the Fan family's attitude, Meng Anren was furious, yet he still made inquiries on the side, harboring a faint hope that matters might yet be salvaged. When he learned that Fan Shiyi Niang had already been betrothed to another, his rage blazed and all his hopes were dashed. Soon after, hearing that Fan Shiyi Niang had perished like jade shattered and fragrance spent, he was overwhelmed with grief and resentment, his spirit utterly crushed, wishing he could die alongside her. As dusk fell, Meng Anren left his home, intending to go weep bitterly at Fan Shiyi Niang's grave under the cover of darkness. Suddenly a person approached, and drawing near, he saw it was Feng Sanniang. Feng Sanniang said to Meng Anren, "I congratulate you, for your blessed union can now be fulfilled." Meng Anren, tears streaming, replied, "Do you not know that Shiyi Niang is dead?" Feng Sanniang said, "The blessed union I speak of is precisely because she is dead. You must quickly summon your family to open the grave; I have a miraculous medicine that can bring her back to life." Meng Anren followed her instructions, opened the grave, pried open the coffin, removed the body, and then re-buried the tomb. He personally carried the corpse on his back and returned home with Feng Sanniang, laying the body on the bed. After Feng Sanniang administered the medicine, over an hour passed, and Fan Shiyi Niang revived. As soon as she saw Feng Sanniang, she asked, "What place is this?" Feng Sanniang pointed to Meng Anren and said, "This is Meng Anren," and then recounted the whole affair to her. Fan Shiyi Niang felt as if she had just awakened from a dream. Fearing that the secret might leak out, Feng Sanniang led them to hide in a mountain village fifty li away. When Feng Sanniang wished to take her leave, Fan Shiyi Niang tearfully begged her to stay as a companion, and she was lodged in a separate courtyard. They sold the burial jewelry to cover their daily expenses, and they still had a modest amount of property.
Whenever Third Sister Feng saw Meng Anren approaching, she would avoid him and leave. Fan Shiyi said calmly, "We sisters are closer than flesh and blood, but we cannot stay together forever. I think it would be better to follow the example of Ehuang and Nüying, and both marry Mr. Meng." Third Sister Feng replied, "Since childhood, I have obtained an extraordinary secret method; through the practice of breathing exercises, I can achieve longevity, so I have no desire to marry." Fan Shiyi smiled and said, "The world is full of countless texts on the art of nurturing life, but which of them truly works?" Third Sister Feng answered, "The secret method I have obtained is unknown to the world. What is passed down in the world is not the true formula; only Hua Tuo's Five Animals Play is roughly correct. All who cultivate themselves seek to circulate their qi and blood. If one suffers from rebellious qi and hiccups, practicing the Tiger form will immediately cure it—is that not proof of its efficacy?" Fan Shiyi secretly plotted with Meng Anren, asking him to pretend to go on a long journey. That night, Fan Shiyi pressed Third Sister Feng to drink wine, and when she became drunk, Meng Anren stealthily entered the room and shared her bed. When Third Sister Feng awoke, she said, "Little sister, you have ruined me! If the precept against lust had not been broken, I could have ascended to the first heaven upon attaining the Way. Now, having fallen into this trap, it is fate!" She then rose to take her leave. Fan Shiyi confessed her true intentions to Third Sister Feng and expressed her sorrowful apologies. Third Sister Feng said, "To tell the truth, I am a fox spirit. Because I saw your exquisite beauty, I suddenly conceived a feeling of affection, like a silkworm spinning its own cocoon, leading to today's outcome. This is a calamity brought on by the demon of passion, unrelated to human effort. If I stay any longer, the demon of passion will arise again, and there will be no end to it. You still have many days to enjoy blessings and fortune; please cherish yourself and take care." With these words, she vanished. The husband and wife sighed in amazement for a long time.
After a year had passed, Meng Anren indeed succeeded in the provincial and metropolitan examinations and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy. He presented his name card and sought an audience with Lord Fan, who was overcome with shame and regret and refused to see him. Only after repeated entreaties did Lord Fan agree to meet. Upon entering, Meng performed the rites of a son-in-law, prostrating himself on the ground and kowtowing with utmost reverence. Lord Fan, burning with humiliation and anger, suspected that Meng was playing frivolous and contemptible tricks. Meng requested a private conversation and recounted the entire affair in detail. Lord Fan, still unwilling to believe, sent someone to investigate at Meng's home, and only when the truth was confirmed did he feel a surge of astonishment and joy. Lord Fan secretly instructed his household not to divulge the matter, fearing it might invite calamity and upheaval. Two years later, that country gentleman was exposed for his clandestine manipulations and bribery, and both he and his son were banished to the Liao Sea Garrison as military exiles. Only then did Fan Shiyi return to her parents' home to visit them.
Commentary
Although this tale recounts the intricate marital journey of the maiden Fan Shiyi and the scholar Meng Anren from the same village, advancing the remarkable view that one should not judge a spouse by wealth or poverty, the story's true focus and brilliance lie in the emotional entanglement between her and the fox-maiden Feng Sanniang, whose affections verge upon a form of female same-sex intimacy.
In "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," the homosexual characters are in fact all bisexual, none of them avoiding normal marriage. There are several tales depicting male homosexuality, such as "Huang Jiulang," "Nian Yang," and "Shang Sanguan," but only this one portrays female homosexuality. Compared to the depictions of male same-sex relationships, this story, though it describes Feng Sanniang's affection for Fan Shiyi Niang as "upon beholding her radiant beauty, suddenly love arose, like a silkworm entangling itself in its own cocoon," and Fan Shiyi Niang, after Feng Sanniang's departure, "lay on her bed grieving and lamenting, as if she had lost her spouse," presents their relationship with a flickering ambiguity, leading to "gossip-mongers spreading slanderous tales," yet overall it remains pure, leaning more toward the spiritual realm. Moreover, whether in portraying the maidens' characters or their tender mutual affection, it demonstrates the author's deep insight into life and his meticulous skill in depiction.