Original Text
Cheng Xiaosi was a native of Jiannan, clever from childhood and skilled in composition. His parents had died early, leaving him in extreme poverty with no means of livelihood, so he sought employment as a scribe for Grand Secretary Hu. Hu asked him to write an essay and, after reading it, was greatly pleased, saying, "This man will not remain poor forever; I may give him my daughter in marriage." Hu had three sons and four daughters, all betrothed in childhood to families of power and influence, except for his youngest daughter, Siniang, born of a concubine whose mother had died early. By the time she was fifteen or sixteen, she was still unbetrothed, so Hu summoned Cheng Xiaosi to be a son-in-law living with the family. Some mocked Hu, thinking he had grown senile to make such a decision, but Hu paid them no heed. He prepared a study for Cheng to live in and supplied him generously with daily necessities. Hu's sons all looked down on Cheng, refusing to eat at the same table with him, and even the male and female servants taunted him. Cheng remained silent, taking no offense at their slights, and devoted himself solely to diligent study. When others jeered and mocked him from the sidelines, he continued reading without pause; when they beat gongs and drums to disturb him, he would take his book and retreat to his bedroom to read.
At first, before Fourth Miss was betrothed, there was a shamaness who could foretell people's fortunes and misfortunes. She observed all the members of the Hu family without uttering a single flattering word, but when she saw Fourth Miss, she said, "This is a true noblewoman!" After Cheng Xiaosi married into the family as a live-in son-in-law, Fourth Miss's elder sisters mockingly called her "the noblewoman," yet Fourth Miss remained composed and taciturn, paying no heed to their taunts. Gradually, even the maids and servants began to address her as "the noblewoman." Fourth Miss had a young maid named Gui'er, who was greatly aggrieved by this and cried out loudly, "How do you know that our young master will not become a high official?" When Second Sister heard this, she sneered and said, "If Master Cheng becomes a high official, you may gouge out my eyeballs!" Gui'er fumed, "By then, I fear you will begrudge your eyeballs!" Second Sister's maid Chunxiang said, "If Second Miss breaks her word, let my two eyeballs take their place." Gui'er grew even angrier and, striking palms with Chunxiang, swore, "I shall make you both blind!" Second Sister, enraged at being defied, immediately slapped Gui'er twice across the face. Gui'er wailed loudly. When Lady Hu heard of this, she said nothing, merely smiled faintly. Gui'er, still clamoring, reported the matter to Fourth Miss, who was spinning thread at the time. She neither grew angry nor spoke, but continued spinning as before. On Master Hu's birthday, all the sons-in-law arrived, their birthday gifts filling the courtyard. The eldest sister-in-law mocked Fourth Miss, saying, "What gift have you brought?" The second sister-in-law said, "Two shoulders carrying a mouth!" Fourth Miss took this calmly, without the slightest sign of shame. Seeing that Fourth Miss reacted to everything in this manner, as if she were simple-minded, people teased her all the more. Only Master Hu's beloved concubine, Lady Li, who was the mother of Third Miss, always treated Fourth Miss with courtesy and often showed her care and consideration. She frequently said to Third Miss, "Fourth Miss is inwardly clever but outwardly plain, her intelligence completely concealed. These people are all within her grasp, yet they do not know it. Besides, Master Cheng studies day and night—how can he remain beneath others forever? Do not follow their example; treat Fourth Miss kindly, so that you may meet again with ease in the future." Thus, whenever Third Miss returned to her natal home, she made a point of showing friendliness to Fourth Miss.
That year, Cheng Xiaosi, with the assistance of Lord Hu, entered the county school. The following year, when the academic commissioner held the provincial examination, Lord Hu passed away, and Cheng Xiaosi observed mourning for him as a filial son would, thus not participating in the examination. After the mourning period ended, Fourth Miss gave him some silver and urged him to take the qualifying examination to secure a place on the list of neglected talents, admonishing him, "Previously, you were allowed to stay here long because our old father was still alive; now that is utterly impossible! If you can pass the examination, perhaps upon your return, you will still have a home." At their parting, Lady Li and Third Miss bestowed upon him a generous sum of money. Cheng Xiaosi entered the examination hall, pondering and studying the papers meticulously in hopes of success. Soon the results were announced, but his name was not among the successful candidates. His aspirations unfulfilled, he felt deeply dejected and found it difficult to return home; fortunately, he still had ample funds, so he packed his book chest and journeyed to the capital. At that time, many of his wife's relatives held official posts in the capital, and fearing their ridicule, he changed his name and fabricated a place of origin, seeking employment in the household of a high official. Censor Li of the Eastern Sea, upon meeting Cheng Xiaosi, held him in high regard, retained him as a secretary, provided for his studies, purchased him the rank of a tribute student, and allowed him to take the Shuntian prefectural examination. Cheng Xiaosi passed successive examinations and was appointed to the post of a Hanlin bachelor. Only then did he reveal his true identity. Censor Li lent him a thousand taels of silver and dispatched a servant to Jiannan to purchase a residence for him. At that time, the eldest son of the Hu family, facing financial difficulties after his father's death, was selling an excellent estate, and the servant bought it on Cheng Xiaosi's behalf. Once the house was arranged, he sent a carriage to fetch Fourth Miss.
Prior to this, after Cheng Xiaosi had passed the imperial examinations and achieved success, the joyous news arrived at his home. The Hu family members were unwilling to hear of it, and moreover, they noticed that the name on the announcement did not match, so they drove away the messenger. At that time, it happened to coincide with the wedding of the third son of the Hu family; relatives had all come to partake in the wedding feast, and all the sisters were present, except for the fourth daughter, who had not been invited by her elder brothers and their wives. Suddenly, a man arrived on horseback, delivering a letter from Cheng Xiaosi to the fourth daughter. When the brothers opened the letter and read it, they were all dumbfounded. Then the womenfolk at the banquet began to invite the fourth daughter to come and see them. The sisters were all anxious and uneasy, fearing that the fourth daughter would be angry and refuse to come. Before long, the fourth daughter arrived gracefully. Some of them congratulated her, some pulled her to take a seat, some came forward with polite words, and the whole room was filled with clamor and noise. What they heard was about the fourth daughter, what they saw was the fourth daughter, and what they spoke of was still the fourth daughter. But the fourth daughter remained dignified and composed as before. When the crowd saw that she did not speak of faults or grievances, they finally felt at ease and vied with each other to pour wine for her. As they were chatting and drinking merrily, suddenly from outside the gate came the sound of weeping and shouting. Everyone was startled and inquired about it. Shortly, they saw Chunxiang rushing in, her face covered in blood. Everyone pressed her for an explanation, but Chunxiang could not speak through her sobs. The second daughter scolded her loudly, and only then did she weep and say, "Gui'er forced me to gouge out my eyes; if I had not broken free, she would have almost plucked them out!" The second daughter was especially ashamed, and sweat washed the powder from her face. The fourth daughter acted as if nothing had happened; the entire gathering fell silent, with no one speaking, and the guests began to take their leave. The fourth daughter, in her splendid attire, only bid farewell to Lady Li and the third sister, then got into her carriage and departed. It was only then that people realized the one who had purchased the mansion was none other than Cheng Xiaosi. When the fourth daughter first arrived at the newly bought residence, she lacked daily necessities; the old lady and her elder brothers each sent maids, servants, and various utensils as gifts, but the fourth daughter refused them all, accepting only a young maidservant sent by Lady Li.
Not long after, Cheng Xiaosi requested leave to return home for grave-sweeping, his carriage and attendants thronging like clouds. Upon arriving at his father-in-law's house, he first paid respects before the spirit tablet of his deceased father-in-law, then made obeisance to Lady Li. The Hu brothers, having donned their formal robes, came to receive him, but he had already mounted his carriage and departed. After Master Hu's death, his sons daily quarreled over the family property, neglecting their father's coffin. Several years passed, and the chamber housing the bier began to leak, gradually transforming into a mound covering the buried coffin. When Cheng Xiaosi beheld this sight, grief filled his heart. Without consulting the Hu brothers, he selected an auspicious day to inter the coffin, conducting every rite according to propriety. On the day of burial, many persons of rank came to escort the funeral procession, and all the villagers praised him without end.
Cheng Xiaosi served as an incorruptible and high-ranking official for over a decade, never failing to assist any villager in distress with all his might. Hu the Second was at that time arrested for involvement in a homicide case, and the magistrate presiding over the matter, a fellow graduate of the same imperial examination as Cheng Xiaosi, enforced the law with extreme severity. Hu the Elder begged his father-in-law, Surveillance Commissioner Wang, to write a letter pleading for leniency, but received no reply, plunging the Hu family into even greater fear. They wished to seek help from their fourth sister, yet felt too ashamed to broach the subject, and so finally took a personal letter from Lady Li and set off. Upon reaching the capital, they dared not enter the house rashly, but waited until they saw Cheng Xiaosi depart for court before coming to beg an audience with their sister, hoping that Fourth Lady would, for the sake of sibling bonds, forget past petty grievances. After the gatekeeper announced them, an old maidservant from former days came out and led them into the main hall, where simple fare was prepared—nothing more than plain dishes. When the meal was finished, Fourth Lady emerged, her countenance gentle, and asked, "With all the affairs that keep you so busy, Elder Brother, how did you find the leisure to travel ten thousand li to see me?" Hu the Elder prostrated himself on the ground, weeping as he recounted his purpose. Fourth Lady helped him up with a smile and said, "Elder Brother is a fine man; what great matter is this to warrant such a display? I am but a woman—when have you ever seen me wailing before others?" Hu the Elder then produced Lady Li's letter. Fourth Lady replied, "The wives of all my brothers are remarkable women; each can seek help from her own family—why travel so far to come here?" Hu the Elder, at a loss for words, could only plead repeatedly. Fourth Lady's expression hardened as she said, "I thought you had braved mountains and rivers to visit your sister, but it turns out you came all this way to beg a 'noble' for a lawsuit!" With these words, she flicked her sleeves and retreated into the inner chamber. Hu the Elder departed, both humiliated and enraged. Returning home, he recounted in detail his meeting with Fourth Lady, and the entire household, young and old, denounced her as heartless; even Lady Li thought Fourth Lady too hard-hearted. A few days later, Hu the Second was released and returned home, to everyone's joy, and they mocked Fourth Lady for failing to show proper human feeling, only earning resentment and abuse. Soon after, Fourth Lady sent a servant to inquire after Lady Li. The family summoned the servant inside, and he presented gold coins, saying, "My lady, for the sake of Second Uncle's affair, dispatched me in haste, with no time to write a letter. She only sends this modest sum of silver as a token of her regards." Only then did everyone realize that Hu the Second's safe return was due to Cheng Xiaosi's efforts. Later, when the Third Miss's family gradually fell into poverty, Cheng Xiaosi's assistance to her far exceeded ordinary expectations. Moreover, because Lady Li had no sons, they took her into their home to support, treating her as a mother.
Commentary
Like "Listening to the Mirror," this tale also depicts the shifting human sentiments under the shadow of the imperial examinations. "Listening to the Mirror" is a short-short story, concise and incisive, focusing on the family, selecting only the most typical episode of the second wife and abruptly ending with a vivid close-up. This tale, however, is a short story that portrays an entire clan, with numerous characters and rich, heavy strokes, as the critic Feng Zhenluan remarked: "This piece writes of the cold and warm of worldly affairs and the shallow nature of human feelings, reaching the utmost degree, making one laugh and cry in equal measure." If a metaphor may be drawn, "Listening to the Mirror" is a sketch, while "Fourth Lady Hu" is a drama. The most striking scene in "Listening to the Mirror" is when "the second wife forcefully threw down her rolling pin and rose, saying, 'I too shall cool myself!'" The most brilliant passage in "Fourth Lady Hu" is: "Those offering congratulations, those pulling seats, those exchanging pleasantries—the room was filled with clamor. Ears listened for Fourth Lady; eyes looked for Fourth Lady; mouths spoke of Fourth Lady. Yet Fourth Lady remained as composed as before. Seeing that she showed no partiality or fault, the crowd gradually settled down, and then vied to raise their cups to toast Fourth Lady." The scene is evidently broader than that of "Listening to the Mirror," and can be said to fully depict the ugliness of the human world.
In the final part of the tale, to highlight Cheng Xiaosi and Hu Siniang's unwavering devotion to family ties, it is written that "whenever they encountered fellow villagers in dire straits, they spared no effort to assist," and they extended their aid to Erlang, who was entangled in a homicide case—a plot point the author extolled as virtuous conduct. Yet this clearly contradicts social justice and runs counter to Pu Songling's own ideals of judicial governance, reflecting the deep-rooted flaw in traditional Chinese culture where personal sentiment overrides legal principle, a failing from which even Pu Songling was not exempt.