Original Text
Liu Chishui was a native of Pingle, clever and handsome from childhood, and entered the prefectural school at fifteen. Later, because his parents died early, he took to wandering and thus neglected his studies. His family property was not abundant, yet he was naturally fond of adornment, and his bedding and bed were extremely fine. One evening, Liu Chishui was invited out for drinks, and when he left, he forgot to extinguish the candle. After several rounds of wine, he suddenly remembered and hurried back home. Hearing soft voices inside the room, he crouched down to peep through a crack and saw a young man embracing a beautiful woman lying on the bed. Liu Chishui's house was near the abandoned mansion of a prominent family, which was often haunted by spirits, and he knew in his heart they were foxes, but he was not afraid. Entering the room, he shouted, "My bed—how can it be allowed for others to sleep on it!" The two, startled and flustered, grabbed their clothes and fled naked, leaving behind a pair of purple silk trousers with a needlework pouch tied to the waistband. Liu Chishui was delighted and, fearing they might steal it back, hid it in his bedding and held it close. Shortly after, a disheveled maidservant squeezed through the door crack and begged Liu Chishui to return the lost trousers. Liu Chishui smiled and demanded a reward. The maidservant promised to bring him wine, but he refused; she then offered him money, but he still declined. The maidservant left with a laugh, but soon returned, saying, "My eldest young lady says: if you can kindly return it, she will surely give you a fine wife as repayment." Liu Chishui asked, "Who is your eldest young lady?" She replied, "Our family name is Pi; the eldest young lady's childhood name is Baxian, and the one sleeping with her was Master Hu; the second young lady, Shuixian, is married to Master Ding of Fuchuan; the third young lady, Fengxian, is even more beautiful than the other two, and no one who sees her fails to be captivated." Liu Chishui, fearing she might not keep her word, insisted on waiting for good news. The maidservant went and returned, saying, "The eldest young lady told me to convey this to you, sir: good things cannot be accomplished in an instant. Just now, when I mentioned this to the third young lady, she scolded me harshly. Please be patient for a few days and wait a little; our family is not one to make promises lightly and then break them." Liu Chishui then returned the item to her.
Several days passed without any news. One evening, just as it was getting dark, Liu Chishui returned from outside, closed the door, and sat down. Suddenly, the two doors swung open by themselves, and two people carried a girl on a quilt, holding the four corners, and entered, saying, "We have brought the bride!" They laughed, placed her on the bed, and left. Liu Chishui approached the bed and saw Fengxian lying in a deep sleep, her body still exuding the rich fragrance of wine, her flushed face bearing a drunken charm, exquisitely beautiful beyond compare. Overjoyed, Liu Chishui took her feet and removed her stockings, then embraced her to take off her clothes. At this moment, Fengxian began to stir slightly; opening her eyes, she saw Liu Chishui, but her limbs would not obey her will. She only said resentfully, "That wretched Baxian has sold me!" Liu Chishui embraced her affectionately. Fengxian, finding his body icy cold, smiled faintly and said, "What kind of night is this, to meet such a cold person?" Liu Chishui replied, "You, ah you, what can you do to me, a cold man?" Thus they grew intimate with each other. Afterwards, Fengxian said, "That shameless Baxian has defiled someone else's bed and used me to exchange for her own trousers! I must take a small revenge on her!" From then on, Fengxian came every night without fail, and their love deepened. One day, Fengxian took out a gold bracelet from her sleeve and said, "This belongs to Baxian." A few days later, she produced from her bosom a pair of embroidered shoes, inlaid with pearls and gold, exquisitely crafted, and told Liu Chishui to make them known. Liu Chishui then showed these items to relatives and friends, boasting about them. Those who wished to see them offered money and wine as gifts, and thus these objects became rare treasures. One night, Fengxian came and spoke of parting. Surprised, Liu Chishui asked the reason. She replied, "My elder sister hates me because of the embroidered shoes and wants to take the whole family far away, to cut off our love." Terrified, Liu Chishui offered to return the items to Baxian. Fengxian said, "No need; she is using this to threaten me. If I return them, I will fall into her trap." Liu Chishui asked, "Why don't you stay behind alone?" Fengxian replied, "My parents are going far away, and the whole family of more than ten people are entrusted to Hu Lang's care. If I do not follow, I fear that long-tongued woman will spread slander and cause trouble." From then on, Fengxian never came again.
After two years had passed, Liu Chishui found himself deeply longing for Fengxian. One day, he happened upon a young lady riding a horse at a leisurely pace along the road, an old servant holding the reins, and as she passed by him, she turned her head, lifted her veil, and stole a glance at him, revealing a lovely countenance. Shortly thereafter, a young man approached from behind and asked, "Who is that lady? She seems quite beautiful." Liu Chishui praised her extravagantly. The young man bowed to him and said with a smile, "You flatter me too much! That is my wife." Embarrassed, Liu Chishui apologized. The young man replied, "It is of no consequence. However, among the three Zhuge brothers of Nanyang, you have already obtained the dragon, so the rest are hardly worth mentioning!" Liu Chishui did not understand his meaning. The young man said, "Do you not recognize the one who secretly slept in your bed?" Only then did Liu Chishui realize that this was Hu Lang. So they acknowledged each other as brothers-in-law and chatted and laughed with great warmth. The young man said, "My parents-in-law have just returned; we are going to visit them. Would you like to come along?" Liu Chishui was delighted and followed them into Mount Ying. On the mountain there was a mansion that townspeople had once used as a refuge from chaos, and Baxian dismounted and entered. Before long, several people came out to look, exclaiming, "Master Liu has arrived!" Liu Chishui entered and paid his respects to his parents-in-law. Another young man was already there, dressed in splendid attire that dazzled the eyes. The father-in-law introduced him, saying, "This is Master Ding of Fuchuan." The two exchanged bows and took their seats. Soon, wine and dishes were laid out in abundance, and the whole family chatted and laughed in great harmony.
The father-in-law said, "Today all three sons-in-law have arrived, truly a rare gathering. Since there are no outsiders, we may call the daughters out to join us in reunion." After a while, the three sisters emerged. The father-in-law ordered seats arranged, each beside her own husband. Baxian, upon seeing Liu Chishui, merely covered her mouth and laughed; Fengxian teased him playfully; Shuixian, though somewhat less striking in appearance, was gentle and composed, and while the room buzzed with laughter and talk, she only held her cup and smiled silently. Thus the guests mingled, the room filled with fragrant scents, and all drank with great merriment. Liu Chishui noticed various musical instruments by the bed and took a jade flute, requesting to play a tune to toast his father-in-law's birthday. The father-in-law was delighted and bade those who could play to each take an instrument, so all scrambled to do so, except for Ding and Fengxian. Baxian said, "Brother Ding cannot play, so he may refrain, but why do you not reach out?" She then tossed a clapper into Fengxian's lap, and all the instruments began to play. The father-in-law joyfully exclaimed, "The joy of family is just this! You all can sing and dance, why not each display your talents?" Baxian rose and tugged Shuixian, saying, "Fengxian has always treasured her voice as if it were gold or jade, not daring to trouble her; let us two sing a song of 'The Luo River Goddess.'" As the two finished their song and dance, a maid presented fruits on a golden platter, and none recognized their names. The father-in-law said, "These are brought from the kingdom of Zhenla, called 'Tianboluo.'" He then took several pieces and offered them to Ding. Fengxian said in displeasure, "Is love for a son-in-law to be measured by wealth or poverty?" The father-in-law smiled without speaking. Baxian said, "Father treats Brother Ding as a guest from another county. If we go by seniority, does only Sister Feng have a poor son-in-law no bigger than a fist?" Fengxian remained unhappy, took off her bright ornaments, tossed the drum clapper to the maid, and sang a piece of "The Broken Kiln," her voice mingled with tears. When she finished, she flicked her sleeves and left, casting a pall over the entire room. Baxian said, "This girl is as willful as ever," and went after her, but she had already vanished without a trace.
Liu Chishui felt deeply humiliated and took his leave, but halfway along the road he saw Fengxian sitting by the wayside, who beckoned him to sit beside her. She said, "Are you not a man? Can you not stand up for your bedmate? The golden house lies within the pages of books—I urge you to strive well!" Then lifting her foot, she added, "In my haste to leave, thorns have torn my shoe. Do you still have the token I gave you?" Liu Chishui produced the embroidered slipper, and Fengxian took it and put it on. He wished to keep her old shoe, but she laughed and said, "You are indeed a great rogue! Who ever heard of hiding one's own quilt or pillow on one's person? If you truly love me, there is something I can give you." So she brought out a mirror and handed it to him, saying, "If you wish to see me, you must seek me within your books; otherwise, we shall have no chance to meet again." With these words, she vanished. Liu Chishui could only return home in melancholy.
Upon looking into the mirror, Fengxian was standing with her back to him, appearing as if she were a hundred paces away. Remembering her instructions, he declined all visitors, shut his doors, and devoted himself entirely to his studies. One day, Liu Chishui saw the figure in the mirror suddenly turn to face him, with a lovely smile as if about to speak, and he cherished her all the more. When alone, he would gaze at her reflection. After a month, his resolve to study diligently began to wane; he often went out to amuse himself and frequently forgot to return home. When he came back and looked in the mirror, her face was full of sorrow, as if she were about to weep. The next day, she was again turned away from him as before. Then Liu understood that Fengxian’s behavior was due to his neglect of his studies. So he shut himself in and read day and night without pause. After another month, the figure in the mirror faced outward once more. From then on, he found proof: whenever he slackened in his studies, the mirror figure would be sorrowful; when he studied hard for days, she would smile. Thus, morning and evening, he hung up the mirror and treated it like a teacher. After two years of such perseverance, he passed the imperial examinations with distinction. Overjoyed, Liu exclaimed, “Now I can face my Fengxian!” Taking up the mirror, he saw her with arched black brows, slightly revealing her white teeth, her face radiant with joy, as if she were right before him. He was filled with boundless affection and could not take his eyes off her. Suddenly, the figure in the mirror laughed and said, “The lover in the shadow, the beloved in the painting—this is what they speak of today.” Startled and delighted, Liu looked around, and there stood Fengxian at his right side. Taking her hand, he asked after her parents’ well-being. Fengxian replied, “Since parting from you, I have not returned home but have lived alone in a cave, sharing your hardships.” When Liu went to the prefectural city for a banquet, Fengxian asked to accompany him, and they rode together in the same carriage, though no one could see her. On their way back, she secretly suggested that he pretend she was a wife he had married in the city. Once home, Fengxian began to receive guests and manage household affairs. Everyone marveled at her beauty, unaware that she was a fox.
Liu Chishui was a student of the magistrate of Fuchuan County, and he went to pay his respects to the magistrate. On the way, he encountered Ding Lang, who warmly invited him to his home and entertained him most generously. Ding Lang told him, "My wife's parents have recently moved elsewhere. My wife has returned to her family home and will soon be back. I will certainly send a letter to inform them of your success in the examinations and bid them come to offer congratulations." At first, Liu Chishui suspected that Ding Lang was also a fox, but upon inquiring into his family background, he learned that Ding Lang was the son of a wealthy merchant from Fuchuan. In the beginning, Ding Lang was returning from his villa one evening when he met Shuixian walking alone on the road. Struck by her beauty, he stole glances at her. Shuixian asked to accompany him, and Ding Lang, overjoyed, brought her to his study and shared a bed with her. Shuixian could pass through the window lattice, and only then did Ding Lang realize she was a fox. Shuixian said, "Please do not be suspicious. It is because of your honesty and kindness that I am willing to entrust myself to you." Ding Lang loved her deeply and never took another wife. When Liu Chishui returned home, he borrowed a large courtyard from a wealthy family to prepare lodgings for his guests. The courtyard was swept clean, but he was troubled by the lack of curtains and screens. The next day, when he went to look, he found the furnishings entirely renewed. A few days later, indeed, more than thirty people arrived at the gate bearing gifts, with carriages and horses in an endless stream, filling the streets and lanes. Liu Chishui bowed to his father-in-law, Ding Lang, and Hu Lang, inviting them inside, while Fengxian welcomed her mother and two elder sisters into the inner chambers. Baxian said, "This girl is now rich and honored—she won't blame me, the matchmaker, will she? Are the gold bracelets and embroidered shoes still here?" Fengxian found them and returned them, saying, "The shoes are still the same pair, but they have been seen by a thousand eyes." Baxian struck her on the back with a shoe, saying, "I hit you, and let this be remembered on Master Liu's account." Then she threw the shoes into the fire, praying, "New as flowers in bloom, old as flowers fading. Treasured, never worn, the moon goddess borrows them." Shuixian also prayed on her behalf, saying, "Once they graced jade bamboo shoots, worn, they were praised by all. If the moon goddess saw them, she would pity their too slender form." Fengxian stirred the fire and said, "Night after night ascending the blue sky, one day leaving the beloved. Leaving behind a slender shadow, shown to all the world." Then Fengxian gathered the ashes in a tray, forming them into more than ten portions. Seeing Liu Chishui approach, she lifted the tray and offered it to him, revealing a full tray of embroidered shoes, each identical to the original. Baxian quickly stepped out and pushed the tray to the ground, where one or two shoes remained; she bent down and blew on them, and only then did the shoes vanish. The next day, because Ding Lang's home was far away, the couple departed first. Baxian, greedy for play with her younger sister, was urged repeatedly by her father and Hu Lang, and only after noon did she emerge from the room and leave with the others.
When these guests first arrived, their manner was grand and imposing, and the onlookers gathered as thickly as at a market fair. Among them were two bandits who, upon seeing such beautiful women, lost their very souls and plotted to waylay them on the road. They watched until the party left the village, then followed behind. Though less than an arrow's shot away, they whipped their horses in desperate pursuit, yet could never catch up. When they reached a place where cliffs hemmed the road on both sides, the carriage and horses slowed, and the bandits seized the chance to close in. Raising their swords with loud shouts, they scattered the people in terror. Dismounting, they lifted the carriage curtain—only to find an old woman seated within. Just as the bandits suspected they had mistakenly seized the mother of the beauty, they looked up and were struck on the right arm by a weapon, instantly bound fast. Gazing intently, they saw that the cliffs on either side were not cliffs at all, but the city gate of Pingle, and the carriage held the mother of Metropolitan Graduate Li, returning from the countryside. The other bandit, arriving from behind, also had his horse's leg severed and was bound. The city guards seized them and brought them before the prefect, who extracted a full confession upon first interrogation. At that time, a notorious bandit remained at large, and upon questioning, it turned out to be him. The following spring, Liu Chishui passed the metropolitan examination. Fengxian, fearing to invite trouble, declined all congratulations from relatives. Liu Chishui took no other wife. Later, he became a court official, took a concubine, and fathered two sons.
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: Alas! The warmth and coldness of human sentiment, the celestial realm and the mortal world are ultimately no different! "If in youth one does not strive, in old age one will lament in vain." It is only a pity that there are no strong-willed beauties to enact the joys and sorrows within the mirror. I wish there were many immortals who would marry their lovely daughters into the mortal realm, so that in the bitter sea of poverty, there would be many fewer suffering souls.
Commentary
In contemporary times, people often say that behind every successful man there must be a virtuous wife. In ancient times, indeed, such expectations were also placed upon women. The Fengxian in this tale represents the ideal female figure of the Ming and Qing dynasties, who inspired men to strive for success in the imperial examinations. The story recounts three sisters of a fox family: the eldest, Baxian, married a fox; the second, Shuixian, married the son of a wealthy merchant; and the youngest, Fengxian, married the commoner Liu Chishui. During a family gathering, the disparity between the rich and poor in the human world was even reflected within this fox family. Humiliated, Fengxian departed in anger, leaving Liu Chishui a mirror to encourage him to excel in the civil service examinations. When Liu studied diligently, Fengxian’s image in the mirror smiled radiantly; when he grew lax, her reflection appeared sorrowful, as if on the verge of tears. Inspired by Fengxian, Liu ultimately succeeded in the examinations, earning a status in the fox family that rivaled that of the wealthy merchant’s son. The Historian of the Strange remarks: "Alas! The fickleness of worldly favor and disfavor is no different between immortals and mortals!" This truly reflects the human sentiments of that era. The mirror in the tale embodies an ancient ideal of photographic technology and showcases Pu Songling’s romantic imagination.
In terms of the creative inheritance of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," people often note the influence of earlier novels. In fact, ancient dramas, especially the zaju and chuanqi of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, also provided rich nourishment for "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." This piece cites Wang Shifu's Yuan-dynasty "Lü Mengzheng in the Snow at the Broken Kiln" and "The Story of the Western Wing," as well as Xue Jinyan's Ming-dynasty "The Embroidered Jacket," which not only reflects the actual state of drama performance and dissemination in Pu Songling's era but also reveals another facet of Pu Songling's scholarly cultivation.