Original Text
Sun Bizhen was crossing the Yangtze River when he encountered a violent storm and gale, causing the ferry boat to pitch and toss violently, filling all aboard with extreme terror. Suddenly, they beheld a deity clad in golden armor standing amidst the clouds, holding aloft a tablet inscribed with golden characters, which he displayed to those below. All raised their heads to look, and saw clearly the three characters "Sun Bizhen" written upon it. The crowd said to Sun Bizhen, "Surely you have committed some offense and are to be punished by Heaven; please board another boat yourself, and do not bring calamity upon us all." Sun Bizhen made no reply, and before he could answer, the crowd, seeing a small boat nearby, pushed him into it without further ado. Once Sun Bizhen had boarded the small boat and looked back, he saw that the original boat had already capsized and sunk in the river.
Commentary
In "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," those chapters concerning karmic retribution and the resonance between heaven and man often depict high-ranking officials, successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and celebrated figures whom the author knew or respected as possessing extraordinary spiritual powers. Examples include Wang Yuncang in "The Hail God," Tang Pin in "Tang Gong," Shi Maohua in "Admonishing the Ghosts," Tang Menglai in "The Mud Ghost," Lord Hua in "The Censor of Fengdu," Han Yuanshao in "Young Master Yuan," and Sun Bizhen in this very tale. Each of them could turn misfortune into fortune and encounter auspiciousness in the face of calamity. In truth, the people were real, but the events were mere legends. Perhaps the author intended to flatter them, but more likely, he was simply embellishing their stories to make them appear divine.