Original Text
In Shandong's Yidu county, there was a man named Yue Yujiu whose home was plagued by a fox spirit; bolts of cloth and household utensils were often tossed over the neighbor's wall. He had stored some fine linen, which he took out to make clothes, only to find the bundle tied as before, but when unrolled, the edges were solid while the center was hollow, all cut away. Such troubles were endless and unbearable. His family cursed the fox recklessly, but Yue Yujiu warned them, saying, "I fear the fox might hear you." The fox spoke from the rafters, "I have already heard." And from then on, its mischief grew even worse.
One day, as the couple lay in bed still not yet risen, the fox spirit snatched away their quilt and clothing, leaving them stark naked, crouching on the bed, gazing up at the sky in desperate supplication. Suddenly, they beheld a comely maiden enter through the window, who cast their garments upon the head of the bed. Observing her appearance, she was not tall of stature, clad in a crimson outer robe over a snow-white sleeveless jacket. Yue Yu-jiu, having dressed himself, bowed to her and said, "Since the celestial immortal has deigned to visit, pray do not continue to vex us. Might I presume to acknowledge you as a daughter?" The fox replied, "My years exceed yours; how dare you arrogate such superiority?" He then proposed to treat her as a sister, to which she consented. Thereupon he commanded all his household to address the fox as Elder Sister Hu.
At that time, in the town of Yan, the eighth son of the Zhang family had a fox spirit dwelling in his upper chambers, often speaking with people. Yue Yujiu asked Hu Dagu, "Do you know the fox from the Zhang household?" She replied, "She is my Aunt Xi, how could I not know her?" Yue Yujiu said, "Aunt Xi never disturbed anyone; why do you not follow her example?" The fox paid no heed and continued its mischief as before. The fox did not trouble others much but focused its torment on Yue Yujiu's daughter-in-law. Her shoes, socks, hairpins, and earrings were often discarded on the path; at every meal, dead mice or filth would be buried in her bowl. The daughter-in-law would always throw down her bowl and curse the lecherous fox, never praying for mercy. Yue Yujiu prayed, "My children all call you Aunt, why do you show no respect as an elder?" The fox said, "Tell your son to divorce his wife, and I will become your daughter-in-law; then all will be peaceful." The daughter-in-law cursed, "Shameless lecherous fox, have you no shame, trying to steal another woman's husband?" At that moment, she was sitting on a bamboo chest of clothes when suddenly thick smoke rose from beneath her, scorching hot as if she were sitting on a steamer. When she opened the chest, all the garments were reduced to ashes, with only one or two pieces left, all belonging to her mother-in-law. The fox then urged Yue Yujiu's son to divorce his wife, but he refused. A few days later, it pressed him again, and still he refused. Enraged, the fox struck the son with a stone, splitting his forehead and causing blood to flow, nearly killing him. Yue Yujiu grew ever more distressed by the fox's wanton behavior.
Li Chengyao of the Western Hills was skilled in drawing talismans. Yue Yujiu paid him to come and exorcise evil spirits. Li Chengyao used gold powder on red silk to create a talisman, which took three days to complete. He then bound a mirror to a staff, holding it like a handle, and shone it throughout the entire residence. He also had a young boy follow and observe, reporting immediately anything he saw. When they reached one spot, the boy said it seemed a dog was crouching on the wall. Li Chengyao immediately made a sword-like gesture with his index and middle fingers and drew a talisman on the wall. After that, he performed the Yu Step in the courtyard and chanted incantations for a while. Then they saw the household dogs and pigs all come forward, each with heads bowed and ears drooping, tails tucked, as if awaiting orders. Li Chengyao waved his hand and said, "Begone!" The dogs and pigs immediately scattered and departed in an orderly line. He chanted again, and a flock of ducks arrived, which he also waved away. Soon, chickens came. Li Chengyao pointed at one chicken and shouted at it harshly. The other chickens left, but this one alone crouched on the ground, crossing its wings and crying out loudly, "I dare not do it again!" Li Chengyao said, "This creature is the Purple Maiden you made in your home." The family all said they had never made such a thing. Li Chengyao said, "The Purple Maiden still exists." Then everyone recalled that three years earlier, they had once played this game, and strange occurrences had begun from that day. They searched everywhere and found a straw figure on a beam in the stable. Li Chengyao took it down and threw it into the fire to burn. He then produced a wine bottle, chanted incantations three times, and cursed three times. The chicken rose and walked away. A voice was heard from the mouth of the bottle, saying, "Yue Si is truly ruthless! In a few years, I shall return!" Yue Yujiu begged to throw the bottle into boiling water or fire to destroy it, but Li Chengyao refused and took it away. Someone saw dozens of bottles hanging on the walls of Li Chengyao's home, each with a fox spirit inside the stoppered mouth. It was said that he would release these fox spirits one by one to cause trouble in people's homes, thereby earning fees to recapture them—truly a master of hoarding for profit!
Commentary
The ghostly foxes, flower spirits, and other supernatural beings in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" reflect various facets of society. In his preface, Yu Ji wrote: "There are indeed those in the world who wear fine garments and speak with human voices, yet when one examines what they harbor within, they are worse than specters and fiends, and even wolves and tigers cannot compare to them." Pu Songling, "compelled by necessity to wander into the realms of the dark and strange, imagined that creatures of a different kind might possess sentiment, and perhaps could still be conversed with; though the schemes of ghosts are distant, they might yet serve to warn against greed and lust." Within "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," there are indeed benevolent ghostly foxes and flower spirits, as well as those that are vicious and ugly. Great villains and great evils appear in tales like "The Examination Hall of Corruption" and "Dream of Wolves," while petty villains and petty evils appear in "Fox Aunt Hu" and "The Locust Spirit." The fox spirit Violet Aunt in "Fox Aunt Hu" resembles an unreasonable petty hooligan from the streets and alleys; though her mischief is but a minor affliction, it brings great disturbance and inconvenience to daily life. It is noteworthy that in these chapters, Pu Songling also writes of sorcerers who subdue them. These sorcerers can control them but do not eradicate them entirely, for there is a chain of interests at play. The sorcerers are akin to the big-time thugs in society who collect protection money; indulging, dispatching, and restraining the petty hooligans are all means by which they seek their own gain.