Original Text
Ruiyun was a celebrated courtesan of Hangzhou, unmatched in both beauty and talent. At fourteen, her foster mother, Mistress Cai, bade her receive guests. Ruiyun said, "This is the beginning of my fortune in life, and it must not be handled carelessly. The price may be set by you, Mother, but the choice of guests must be left to me." Mistress Cai agreed. Thus the price was fixed at fifteen taels of silver per visit, and Ruiyun began receiving guests daily. Those who sought an audience were obliged to bring gifts; those with generous offerings were favored with a game of chess or a painting as a token of thanks, while those with meager presents were merely offered a cup of tea. Her fame spread far and wide, and soon wealthy merchants and noblemen came in an endless stream, drawn by her renown.
In Yuhang County there lived a scholar named He, who had long enjoyed a high reputation for his literary talent, though his family possessed only moderate wealth. He had always admired Ruiyun from afar, and though he dared not hope for the intimacy of sharing her bed, he strained his means to prepare a modest gift, hoping merely to behold her radiant countenance. In his heart, He thought that Ruiyun had received so many visitors that she would hardly take notice of a poor scholar like himself. Yet when they met and conversed, Ruiyun treated him with remarkable warmth. They sat together for a long while, and with a tender look in her eyes, she composed a poem and presented it to him, which read:
What matter drove the one seeking drink to knock at the Blue Bridge's gate at dawn?
With a heart set on seeking the jade pestle, the quest is only to be found within the mortal realm.
When Scholar He took the poem and read it, he realized that Ruiyun had taken a liking to him, and his heart was filled with wild joy. Just as he was about to speak a few more heartfelt words, a young maidservant suddenly entered to announce that a guest had arrived, so he had to hastily take his leave and depart. Returning home, Scholar He recited and savored the poem over and over, and even in his dreams, Ruiyun's figure lingered. After a day or two, unable to restrain himself, he prepared a gift and went to see her again. When Ruiyun saw him, she was overjoyed, moved her seat closer to Scholar He, and whispered to him, "Can you find a way to spend a night with me?" Scholar He replied, "I am but a poor and humble scholar, with only a single-minded devotion to offer to my soulmate. This small gift has already exhausted my meager means. To be near your lovely countenance is enough to satisfy my heart; as for the intimacy of flesh, how dare I even dream of it?" Hearing this, Ruiyun's expression turned displeased, and the two sat facing each other, unable to utter another word. As Scholar He lingered long without leaving, Old Madam Cai repeatedly called for Ruiyun and urged Scholar He to depart quickly, so he had no choice but to go home. Once back, Scholar He felt deeply disheartened, thinking that if he were to squander his entire fortune for a single night of joy, the pain of parting at dawn would be unbearable. At this thought, all his passion cooled, and from then on, he ceased all contact with Ruiyun.
Ruiyun spent several months selecting a suitable lover, yet found none to her liking. Madam Cai grew angry and wished to force her into receiving guests, but had not yet made a decision. One day, a scholar presented a gift and sat with Ruiyun for a while. He then rose, pressed a single finger upon her forehead, and said, "What a pity! What a pity!" before departing. After Ruiyun saw the guest off and returned, everyone saw a black mark like ink on her forehead, which grew more distinct the more she washed it. After several days, the black mark gradually widened; by the time over a year had passed, it had spread to her cheekbones and nose. Those who saw her mocked Ruiyun, and gradually the noble guests ceased to visit. Madam Cai ordered her to remove her ornaments and work alongside the maidservants. Ruiyun was naturally frail and could not endure physical labor, so she grew increasingly haggard. When Scholar He heard of this, he went to see her and found her disheveled and grimy, working in the kitchen, as ugly as a ghost. She looked up, saw it was He, and turned her face to the wall to hide from him. He pitied her deeply and negotiated with Madam Cai, offering to redeem Ruiyun and take her as his wife. Madam Cai agreed. Thus, He sold all his fields and property to buy Ruiyun and bring her home. After entering his house, Ruiyun clutched his garments, wiped her tears, and dared not assume the position of a wife, only wishing to be a concubine, leaving the wife's place for another. He said, "The most precious thing in life is a true friend. When you were in your prime, you still regarded me highly; how could I forget you because your beauty has faded?" From then on, he never entertained the thought of taking another wife. Those who heard of this mocked him, yet his affection for Ruiyun only deepened.
After more than a year had passed, He Sheng happened to travel to Suzhou, where a scholar named He lodged in the same inn. Suddenly, he asked, "There is a famous courtesan in Hangzhou called Ruiyun—how has she been lately?" He Sheng replied, "She has already married." The scholar He then asked, "Whom did she marry?" He Sheng answered, "The man is much like myself." The scholar He said, "If he is indeed like you, then she has found a worthy husband. I wonder how much silver was spent to redeem her?" He Sheng replied, "Because she fell victim to a strange affliction, she was sold cheaply. Otherwise, how could a man like me ever afford to buy a beauty from the brothel?" The scholar He pressed further, "Is that man truly like you?" Finding the questions odd, He Sheng turned the inquiry back upon him. The scholar He smiled and said, "To be honest, I once beheld her radiant visage and felt deep pity that such a woman of peerless beauty should languish in a house of ill repute. So I used a minor spell to veil her splendor, preserving her true loveliness, hoping she might be appreciated by one who truly cherished her." He Sheng hastily asked, "Since you could place the black mark upon her, can you also wash it away?" The scholar He laughed and said, "Why not? Provided her husband earnestly beseeches me." He Sheng rose, bowed, and declared, "I am Ruiyun's husband." The scholar He rejoiced and said, "Only a man of true virtue and talent can be so devoted, unmoved by changes in his beloved's appearance. Let me return with you, and I shall restore a peerless beauty to you." With these words, he accompanied He Sheng back home.
When they arrived at He Sheng's home, he was about to prepare wine and set out a feast, but He Sheng stopped him, saying, "Let me first perform my magic art; it is fitting that those who are to prepare the feast should first be made happy." Having said this, he asked He Sheng to bring a basin of water, and with his finger he traced several lines in it, then said, "Wash your face with this water, and it will be healed. However, you must ask her to come out in person to thank the physician." He Sheng smiled and carried the basin inside, standing by as Ruiyun washed her own face; wherever her hand touched, the face immediately became smooth and radiant, once again as beautiful and captivating as in her youth. The husband and wife were filled with boundless gratitude toward He Sheng, and together they came out to express their thanks, but He Sheng had already vanished; they searched everywhere but could not find him, and they wondered if he was perhaps an immortal.
Commentary
This is a story about a prostitute who reforms and becomes a virtuous woman.
Unlike similar tales from previous dynasties, the vicissitudes of joy and sorrow between the courtesan Ruiyun and He Sheng of Yuhang did not arise from social upheaval or worldly turmoil, but rather from an immortal's touch upon Ruiyun's face, which transformed her from beauty to ugliness, plummeting her worth. He Sheng of Yuhang, unwavering in his original intent, thus reunited with her. Finally, through the immortal's hand, Ruiyun's beauty was restored. The stark contrast between Ruiyun's former loveliness and later plainness intensifies the novel's dramatic effect, concentrates the plot, and increasingly reveals the male protagonist's rare fidelity in matters of love.
The brilliance of this tale's ideological content lies in two speeches by He Sheng and his friend. One says: 'What a man values most in life is a true friend who understands him. When you were in your prime, you still recognized me for who I was; how could I forget you now that you have fallen from grace?' The other declares: 'Only a man of genuine talent in this world is capable of deep affection, for he does not change his heart based on beauty or ugliness.' These two passages transcend the conventional clichés of talented scholars and beautiful maidens, setting an extraordinary tone for the love between the story's hero and heroine. Although the narrative is brief and lacks excessive twists, it distances itself from previous tales of courtesans reforming and brings forth fresh meaning. Of course, the so-called bond of mutual understanding in this story is closely tied to Pu Songling's own life experiences, for he yearned for a kindred spirit and hoped that someone would elevate him despite his poverty and lowly status.