Original Text
Several merchants were lodging at an inn in the capital city. The inn adjoined a neighboring house, separated only by a thin plank wall, and on this pinewood plank, a knot had fallen out, leaving a hole the size of a cup. Suddenly, they saw a woman poke her head through the hole; her hair was coiled in a phoenix bun, and she was exceedingly beautiful. In a moment, she extended an arm through, as white as jade. The men were startled, thinking it was a demon, and tried to seize her, but she had already withdrawn. Soon, she appeared again, yet there was no body on the other side of the wall. They all rushed at her, and she slipped back again. One merchant, holding a sharp knife, crouched beneath the plank wall. When the woman's head emerged once more, he struck swiftly, and the head fell to the blow, blood splattering everywhere. The men were greatly alarmed and informed the innkeeper. The innkeeper, terrified, took the beautiful head to the authorities to report the matter. The officials arrested the merchants for interrogation, but their confessions were utterly absurd. They were imprisoned for half a year, yet no consistent evidence of a crime emerged, nor did anyone come forward to report a murder, so the merchants were released, and the beautiful head was buried.
Commentary
There is a common saying, "a headless case," originally referring to a murder where the head cannot be found, making it impossible to identify the victim and thus difficult to solve the crime. This tale likely takes the opposite approach—there is a head, yet the case remains unsolved. However, "The Beautiful Woman's Head" is written without any hint of bloodshed or violence, presenting instead pure strangeness. The author describes the appearance of the beautiful woman's head in three stages, appearing and vanishing abruptly, with layers and progression. Because it is a beautiful woman's head, it is not only "coiled in a phoenix bun, exceedingly lovely" but also "an arm, white as jade." The final outcome is "blood splattering on the dust," creating a stark visual contrast. Since the ending does not bring much trouble to the merchant and the matter is left unresolved, it is the head itself, rather than the case, that leaves an unforgettable impression on the reader.