Original Text
According to Huai Liren of Jinan, Liu Liangcai was the reincarnation of a fox. In the beginning, Liu Liangcai's father, the Elder Liu, lived in the Southern Mountains. An old man came to visit the Liu household, claiming his surname was Hu. When asked where he lived, he said, "Right here in these mountains. In this quiet, secluded place with few people, only you and I can keep each other company day and night, so I have come to call upon you and make your acquaintance." Thereupon he conversed with Elder Liu, and his speech was quick and clever. Elder Liu took a great liking to him, so he prepared wine and feasted joyfully, and only after both were thoroughly drunk did the old man depart. The next day, the old man came again, and the two grew even more congenial and harmonious. Elder Liu said, "Ever since I had the fortune of your acquaintance, our bond has been the deepest. Yet I do not know where you reside, and how am I to inquire after your welfare?" Old Hu said, "I dare not hide it—I am in truth an old fox of these mountains. Because I am fated to be connected with you, I have dared to attach myself to your household. I cannot bring you fortune, nor dare I bring you calamity; pray trust me and have no fear." Elder Liu, hearing this, did not doubt him and cherished the bond even more. They then compared their ages, and Old Hu, being the elder, became a brother to Elder Liu, and they came and went like kin. If Elder Liu encountered any small fortune or misfortune, Old Hu would always inform him. At that time, Elder Liu had no son. Suddenly Old Hu said, "Do not worry—I should become your offspring." Elder Liu was startled by this strange remark. Old Hu said, "I calculate that my lifespan is at an end, and the day of my reincarnation is near. Rather than being reborn into another family, how could it compare to being reborn into the home of an old friend?" Elder Liu said, "The lifespan of an immortal spans ten thousand years—how could it come to this so soon?" Old Hu shook his head and said, "This is not something you can understand." Then he departed. That night, Elder Liu indeed dreamed that Old Hu came and said, "I have arrived now." When he awoke, his wife gave birth to a son—this was Liu Liangcai.
After Liu Liangcai reached adulthood, he was short in stature but quick-witted and humorous in speech, very much resembling the old man Hu. In his youth, he was already renowned for his talent, and in the renchen year, he became a jinshi. He was chivalrous and eager to help those in need, so guests from Qin, Chu, Yan, and Zhao came to visit him, wearing down the threshold of his door; wine sellers and pancake vendors gathered at his gate, forming a marketplace.
Commentary
This is a character biography in the style of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." The subject of the biography is a contemporary figure whom the author deeply admires and respects. Interestingly, the focus of the biography lies on his previous life rather than his present one, using the former to illuminate the latter. The opening startles the reader with the bold declaration, "Liu Gongliangce is the reincarnation of a fox," a technique reminiscent of the folk saying, "This woman is no mortal, but a celestial maiden descended to earth; her son is a thief, stealing peaches from the heavenly garden to honor his mother," which employs a method of first disparaging then praising.
The depiction of the fox's nobility is primarily conveyed through words and deeds, most notably in two self-narrations. The first, "I cannot bring fortune to you, sir, nor dare I bring misfortune," expresses that the purpose of friendship lies solely in shared aspirations, devoid of any utilitarian or self-interested motives. The second, "I dwell only in these mountains. In this secluded place, few are present; only we two can count the mornings and evenings together, hence I have come to make your acquaintance," cleverly borrows from the poetry of Tao Yuanming, Jia Dao, and Su Shi to illuminate a noble character of white clouds, green pines, and a pure heart. Concise yet profound, rich in implication, it showcases Pu Songling's masterful skill in employing classical allusions.