Original Text
A certain scholar purchased a new residence, but it was frequently disturbed by a fox spirit. All clothing and belongings were often damaged, and dust was regularly thrown into the soup and cakes. One day, a friend came to visit, but the scholar happened to be out and did not return until nightfall. The scholar's wife prepared a meal to entertain the guest. After the guest had eaten, the wife and the maidservant consumed the leftovers. The scholar, being dissolute by nature, was fond of collecting aphrodisiacs. At some unknown time, the fox spirit had placed the aphrodisiac into the porridge. When the wife ate the porridge, she sensed a scent of borneol and musk. She asked the maidservant what was amiss, but the maidservant replied that she did not know. After finishing the meal, she felt a burning desire rise within her, unbearable even for a moment. She tried to suppress it with all her might, but the more she restrained herself, the more intense her longing grew. Considering that there was no man in the house she could approach except the guest, she went to knock on the study door. The guest asked who it was, and the wife answered truthfully. When he asked what she wanted, she did not reply. The guest refused, saying, "I am bound by righteous friendship with your husband; I dare not commit such beastly acts." The wife lingered and refused to leave, and the guest scolded her, saying, "You are ruining all the moral conduct and reputation of my friend!" He even spat at her through the window. The wife, deeply ashamed, withdrew and thought to herself, "Why did I act this way?" Suddenly, she recalled the fragrance in the porridge—could it be that she had consumed an aphrodisiac? She checked the packet of medicine and found it scattered messily across the table, with traces in bowls and cups. She knew that cold water could counteract the drug's effects, so she drank cold water. In an instant, her mind cleared, and she felt utterly mortified. She tossed and turned for a long time, unable to sleep. As dawn approached, she grew even more fearful of facing others in the light of day, so she took off her sash and hanged herself. The maidservant discovered her and rescued her, but she was nearly lifeless; it was not until the hour of the dragon (around 7-9 AM) that she showed faint signs of breath. The guest had already departed during the night. The scholar returned at dusk and found his wife lying in bed, unable to rise. He asked what had happened, but she did not answer, only wept. The maidservant told him about the hanging. The scholar was greatly alarmed and pressed his wife for an explanation. She dismissed the maidservant and then told him the truth. Upon hearing this, the scholar sighed and said, "This is retribution for my debauchery; how can I blame you? Fortunately, there was a righteous friend; otherwise, how could I have faced the world?" He then thoroughly reformed his ways, and the fox spirit vanished from that day onward.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: Those who dwell in their households caution one another against storing arsenic or poisoned wine, yet never do they caution against storing love potions—this is like men who fear the blade yet draw near to the pleasures of the bed. How could they know that the poison of love potions is more deadly than arsenic or poisoned wine? And storing such potions merely to win the favor of wives and concubines still incurs the jealousy of ghosts and gods—how much more so for those who indulge in lewdness and excess, whose offenses are even graver than storing love potions!
A certain scholar was returning from the prefectural examination hall, and as dusk fell, he carried back lotus seeds, water chestnuts, and lotus roots. Upon entering his home, he placed these items on the table, along with a certain counterfeit device made from rattan and catgut, which he soaked in a basin of water. Several neighbors, learning of his return, came bearing wine to pay their respects. In his haste, the scholar shoved the basin under the bed and went out to greet them, bidding his wife to prepare some dishes for a modest drinking party. After the guests had departed, he hurried back into the room and lit a candle to examine the spot beneath the bed, only to find the basin empty. He asked his wife what had become of its contents, and she replied, "I just now took it out along with the lotus seeds and water chestnuts to serve the guests—why do you still seek it?" The scholar then recalled that among the dishes there had been some dark strips, which none of the company could identify, and he burst out laughing, saying, "Foolish woman! What kind of thing is that, to be offered to guests?" His wife, puzzled, answered, "I wondered why you had not told me how to prepare it; its shape was so unsightly, and I knew not its name, so I simply chopped it up in confusion and served it." The scholar then explained the matter to her, and the two of them laughed heartily together. Now that the scholar has risen to high rank, his jesting friends still recount this affair as a source of amusement.
Commentary
Mencius said: "The desire for food and sex is part of human nature." This tale depicts a certain scholar who kept aphrodisiacs at home and purchased sexual implements—not a rogue or villain like Ximen Qing, but an ordinary literatus. The latter story is merely a jest, while the former nearly led to tragedy. This narrative can be viewed as a tableau of customs, reflecting the prevailing mores of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Pu Songling clearly did not condone such behavior, deeming it "wanton indulgence," and wove into the tale both mockery and admonition.