Original Text
A scholar named Jia Zilong from Chang'an one day happened to pass by a neighboring lane and saw a carefree and elegant guest. Upon approaching and inquiring, he learned that the man was called Zhen Sheng, a native of Xianyang who was lodging there temporarily. Jia Zilong felt great admiration in his heart. The next day, he went to pay a visit, but unfortunately Zhen Sheng had just gone out. Jia Zilong went three times in total, yet never managed to see him. He then secretly sent someone to watch for when Zhen Sheng was at home, and then went to call on him; Zhen Sheng deliberately hid and would not come out, but Jia Zilong entered and searched until Zhen Sheng finally appeared to meet him. The two sat knee to knee, conversed with open hearts, and considered each other kindred spirits, both feeling great joy. Jia Zilong went to the inn and sent a young servant boy to buy wine. Zhen Sheng was a heavy drinker and also excelled at telling elegant and witty jokes, so the two were very merry. When the wine was nearly finished, Zhen Sheng took a wine vessel from his bamboo chest—a white jade cup without a bottom. He poured a cup of wine into it, and it was instantly full; then he used a small cup to ladle wine from it into the flagon, yet the wine in the jade cup did not diminish in the slightest. Jia Zilong watched, found it miraculous, and insisted that Zhen Sheng teach him this art. Zhen Sheng said, "The reason I was unwilling to meet you is that you have no other faults, but your greed has not yet been purged. This is a secret art of the immortals; how could it be taught to you?" Jia Zilong replied, "How unjust! What greed do I have? It is merely that an occasional extravagant hope arises, and that is only because of poverty." The two exchanged a smile and then parted. From then on, they visited each other frequently, becoming intimate and unrestrained. Whenever Jia Zilong was in financial straits, Zhen Sheng would take out a black stone, blow on it, chant a few incantations, and then rub it against a piece of tile or gravel, which would instantly turn into silver; he would then give the silver to Jia Zilong. But it was always just enough for Jia Zilong's needs, never leaving any surplus. Whenever Jia Zilong tried to ask for a little more, Zhen Sheng would say, "I told you that you were greedy—see, see!" Jia Zilong thought that if he asked openly, he would surely not get it, so it would be better to steal the black stone while Zhen Sheng was drunk and asleep, and then use it to coerce him. One day, after the two had drunk and gone to sleep, Jia Zilong quietly rose and searched under Zhen Sheng's clothes for the black stone. Zhen Sheng suddenly woke up and said, "You are truly ungrateful! I can no longer associate with you!" So Zhen Sheng took his leave and moved to another place to live.
Later, after more than a year had passed, Jia Zilong was strolling by the riverside when he spotted a stone of crystalline purity, remarkably similar to the one Zhen Sheng had once shown him. He picked it up and treasured it like a precious gem. A few days later, Zhen Sheng suddenly appeared, looking dazed and as if he had lost something. Jia Zilong stepped forward to console him and asked what had happened. Zhen Sheng said, "That stone you saw before is the immortal's Philosopher's Stone. In years past, I followed the Master Bao Zhen in my studies; he cherished my uprightness and bestowed that stone upon me. Not long ago, I lost it while drunk, and upon secretly calculating, I found it should be in your possession. If you can return it to me, I dare not forget your kindness and will surely repay you." Jia Zilong replied, "In all my life, I have never dared to deceive a friend; indeed, as you have calculated, the stone is with me. But as it is said, none know Guan Zhong's poverty better than his friend Bao Shu; what do you intend to do for me?" Zhen Sheng then promised him a hundred taels of silver. Jia Zilong said, "A hundred taels is certainly no small sum, but I wish you would teach me the incantation, so I might try it myself and have no regrets." Zhen Sheng feared he would not keep his word. Jia Zilong said, "You are an immortal; do you not know that Jia has never broken faith with a friend?" Zhen Sheng then imparted the incantation to him. Jia Zilong saw a large stone on the steps and wanted to test it. Zhen Sheng grabbed his arm to stop him from touching it. Jia Zilong then bent down, picked up half a brick, placed it on the large stone, and said, "Is this too much?" Zhen Sheng agreed. Unexpectedly, Jia Zilong did not rub the brick but instead rubbed the large stone; Zhen Sheng's face changed color drastically, and as he rushed to intervene, the large stone had already turned into a piece of white gold. Jia Zilong returned the Philosopher's Stone to Zhen Sheng, who sighed and said, "Since things have come to this, what more can be said? But for me to casually bestow fortune and blessings upon others will surely incur Heaven's punishment. If you are willing to help me escape this guilt, you must donate one hundred coffins and one hundred padded garments; would you agree?" Jia Zilong replied, "The reason I wanted so much money was never to hoard it in a vault. Do you take me for a miser?" Zhen Sheng then departed joyfully.
Jia Zilong, having obtained such a vast sum of money, divided his time between acts of charity and conducting business, and within less than three years, the amount he had vowed to give away was fully expended. One day, Zhen Sheng suddenly arrived, took Jia Zilong by the hand, and said, "You are truly a man of your word! After our last parting, I was impeached before the Heavenly Emperor by the God of Fortune and stripped of my immortal rank. Fortunately, thanks to your extensive almsgiving, I have now atoned for my transgressions through these meritorious deeds. I hope you will continue to encourage yourself and not grow lax." Jia Zilong asked Zhen Sheng what celestial office he had held, and Zhen Sheng replied, "I am a fox who attained the Way. My origins were humble, and I could not bear the burden of sin, so throughout my life I have been cautious and self-respecting, never daring to act recklessly in the slightest." Jia Zilong then set out wine and feasted him, and the two drank together joyfully as before. Jia Zilong lived to over ninety years of age, and the fox immortal often came to visit him at his home.
In Changshan there was a man who specialized in selling an antidote for arsenic poisoning; even if a person had already consumed arsenic and was on the verge of death, as long as they took his remedy, none failed to recover, yet he kept the formula secret and never passed it on to others. One day, this man was implicated in a crime and thrown into prison. His wife's younger brother brought him food in the jail and secretly mixed arsenic into the meal. The brother-in-law sat nearby, and only after the man had finished eating did he reveal the truth, but the man did not believe him. After a short while, his stomach began to churn, and he was seized with terror, cursing, "You beast! Hurry! Though there is powdered medicine at home, I fear the distance is too great and time too short; go quickly into the city, grind some creeping fig into powder, and fetch a cup of clear water—bring it at once!" The brother-in-law did as he was told. By the time he returned with the items, the man was already vomiting and purging, on the brink of death; he hastily took the antidote and was instantly cured. From then on, his secret formula for the antidote became widely known. This tale is akin to the fox spirit hiding his philosopher's stone.
Commentary
This is a tale concerning the legend of the philosopher's stone and the art of alchemy. The story's focus is not on extolling alchemy itself, but rather on extolling the spirit of personal integrity and the proper use of wealth. Among the two protagonists, one is the fox immortal Zhen Sheng, who possesses the philosopher's stone and the art of alchemy, is by nature self-respecting, never daring to act rashly even in the slightest, and carries himself with a free and easy grace; the other is Jia Zilong, a scholar from Chang'an who is fond of wine, delights in making friends, and occasionally harbors extravagant desires. The narrative unfolds within the conflict between the two men's deep mutual appreciation and Jia Zilong's occasional stirrings of covetous ambition.
According to orthodox feudal concepts, Jia Zilong does not seem to be a man of upright character; he "occasionally harbored extravagant desires" and was always intent on getting rich. In his interactions with the immortal Zhen Sheng, he "polished not the brick but the anvil," displaying some cunning; but in the final analysis, it was "merely due to poverty." After acquiring wealth, he heeded Zhen Sheng's advice, "both giving alms and engaging in trade," performing charitable deeds, and thus maintained his friendship with Zhen Sheng. Jia Zilong's character is genuine, with flesh and blood; if we compare this with Pu Songling's words in his poem "Golden Chrysanthemum Facing Hibiscus—Written on the Kitchen God's Farewell in the Year Jiayin": "If I ascend to the heavens and see the Emperor, I pray you speak on my behalf, that from the granaries a thousand bushels of grain be granted, and from the void ten thousand ingots of silver fall; on this day of your year, with pure sacrifices abundant, both sides shall shine with glory," then Jia Zilong's honesty, carefree spirit, humor, shrewdness without losing kindness, may well be Pu Songling's self-revelation and jest through the characters in his work.