Original Text
Liu Xichuan of Jiaozhou served as the financial steward for Neishi Minister Fa Ruozhen. When he was over forty years old, he fathered a son, whom he doted upon excessively, always indulging him without restraint, fearing ever to cross his wishes. As the son grew up, he became extravagant and dissolute, knowing no self-restraint, squandering all the wealth Liu Xichuan had accumulated. Before long, the son fell ill. Liu Xichuan had originally raised an excellent mule, and the son said, "This mule is very fat, its flesh is delicious. Kill the mule and give me its meat to eat, and my illness will be cured." Liu Xichuan intended to kill an inferior mule instead, but upon hearing this, the son flew into a rage, cursing loudly, and his condition worsened. Liu Xichuan, terrified, then killed the fine mule and served the meat to his son, who was pleased at last. Yet the son only tasted one piece of the meat and refused the rest. His illness never abated, and soon he died. Liu Xichuan grieved with sighs, overwhelmed with sorrow, as if life itself had lost all meaning.
Three or four years later, some villagers banded together to go to Mount Tai to burn incense. When they reached the mountainside, they saw a man riding a mule approaching, whose appearance closely resembled that of Liu Xichuan's son. When he drew near and they looked at him, it was indeed him. Liu's son dismounted from the mule, bowed to everyone with clasped hands, and exchanged greetings one by one. The villagers were greatly startled, not daring to inquire about his death, but only asked, "What are you doing here?" He replied, "Nothing much, just wandering about." He then asked for the name of the innkeeper, and they told him. Liu's son bowed and said, "I happen to have a small matter to attend to, so I cannot stay to chat. Tomorrow I will come to see you all." With that, he mounted his mule and departed. When the villagers returned to the inn, they thought he might not come after all. The next morning, as they were waiting, he indeed arrived, tied his mule to a post in the stable, and came forward to talk and laugh. They said, "Your father misses you bitterly every day. Why do you not return home to see him?" Liu's son asked in surprise, "Whom do you mean?" They replied that they meant Liu Xichuan. His expression changed drastically, and after a long while he said, "Since he misses me, please take back this message: on the seventh day of the fourth month, I will await him here." Then he bade them farewell and left.
After the group returned to the village, they informed Liu Xichuan of the situation. Liu Xichuan wept bitterly and, as scheduled, went to the inn, where he naturally told the innkeeper his purpose. The innkeeper stopped him, saying, "The other day I saw the young master's demeanor was cold and distant, and it seemed he harbored no good intentions. From my estimation, I fear you cannot go to see him." Liu Xichuan shed tears and refused to believe this. The innkeeper said, "It is not that I forbid you to go, but ghosts and spirits are unpredictable, and I fear you might meet with misfortune. If you must see him, please hide in this cabinet, and when he arrives, observe his attitude. If it seems safe to meet, then you may come out." Liu Xichuan followed this advice. Later, Liu's son indeed arrived and asked the innkeeper, "Has that Liu fellow come?" The innkeeper replied, "He has not come." The son, filled with rage, cursed, "Why has that old beast not come!" The innkeeper, startled, said, "How can you curse your own father?" The son answered, "What father is he to me! At first, he and I were partners in business, but I never expected him to harbor treacherous intentions, secretly embezzling my hard-earned capital, being utterly unreasonable and refusing to repay it. Now I would kill him to feel satisfied—what father is there in this!" Having spoken, he walked out the door, saying, "He got off lightly!" Liu Xichuan, hearing everything clearly from inside the cabinet, was so terrified that cold sweat dripped down to his heels, and he dared not even breathe. Only when the innkeeper called him did he emerge, and he returned home in utter disgrace.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: To suddenly acquire a great fortune—how joyous it is! Yet what is difficult to bear is the repayment. Squandering nearly all of an enemy's family wealth, and even after death being unable to forget, resentment toward others is indeed most severe!
Commentary
In terms of sons being debt collectors, this tale shares the same motif as "Forty Thousand" in the first volume. Yet this story is not merely about owed money; it involves commercial ethics and the embezzlement of a partner's funds, thus the so-called son's vengeance and bone-deep hatred toward his father is even more intense, even to the point of being hair-raising.
In terms of specific description, this tale is more detailed and profound than "Forty Thousand Strings of Cash." That story merely recounts how a son, having taken enough money, dies, and the narrative ends there. This tale, however, describes how the son of the Liu family, after "squandering and exceeding all bounds, emptying his father's accumulated wealth," and even killing "the fine mule his father had long kept," transforms into a ghost after death, still harboring unresolved resentment and seeking revenge. Only at the story's conclusion is the cause of this enmity revealed.
Although this piece is rather shallow in its conceptual treatment of the karmic retribution for unpaid debts, its descriptive passages are remarkably vivid and lifelike. If we set aside the notion of cause and effect, does not the old father's deep and painful affection for his son, and the spoiled son's callous and unfeeling treatment of his father, remind us of scenes all too common in real life?