Original Text
People living by the seashore tell this story: "One day, a towering mountain suddenly emerged from the sea, causing great alarm among the people. A scholar, lodging on a fishing boat, had bought some wine and was drinking alone. Late at night, a young man entered, dressed in the attire of a scholar, who introduced himself as 'Yu Ziyou' and spoke with great elegance. The scholar was delighted and happily drank with him. As midnight approached, Yu Ziyou rose from his seat to take his leave. The scholar said, 'Where is your home? The night is dark and vast; it would be too hard on yourself.' Yu Ziyou replied, 'I am not a local. Since the Qingming Festival is near, I must follow the Great King to visit his ancestral grave. My family has already departed ahead, and the Great King is resting here for now, setting out at dawn tomorrow. I must return to prepare my luggage early.' The scholar did not know who the Great King was. He saw Yu Ziyou to the bow of the boat, where Yu Ziyou leaped into the sea and swam away, revealing himself to be a fish spirit. The next day, the towering mountain floated away and vanished within moments. Only then did the scholar realize that the mountain was actually a giant fish, the Great King Yu Ziyou had spoken of." It is commonly said that before Qingming, giant fish in the sea lead their children to pay respects at their ancestors' graves—could this be true?
Among the folk, it is said that before the Qingming Festival, great fish from the sea lead their offspring to sweep ancestral graves—is there truth to this tale? In the early years of the Kangxi reign, when the tides swelled along the coast of Laizhou, a colossal fish appeared, bellowing for several days with a sound like an ox's moan. After it died, crowds flocked with shoulder poles to cut its flesh, and the fish's body was larger than a mu of land; it had fins and a tail, but no eyeballs. Its eye sockets were as deep as a well, filled with water, and any unwary cutter who fell in would drown. Some said that in the sea, a demoted great fish would have its eyes gouged out, for its eyes were night-shining pearls.
Commentary
This piece can be read alongside "The Great Fish of the Sea" from the second volume.
Although they are each independent, both describe how during the Cold Food Festival, a "tall mountain often emerges from the sea," and that "the mountain is a great fish," for it is "a giant fish from the ocean bringing its children and grandchildren to pay respects at its grave." However, "The Great Fish of the Sea" merely records a maritime phenomenon, while "Yu Ziyou" adds the activities of human figures, making it slightly more detailed and endowed with a plot. When comparing the two pieces, it seems that "The Great Fish of the Sea" resembles a quick sketch or a piece of folkloric material, whereas "Yu Ziyou" is a refinement built upon that foundation.