Original Text
A farmer from the central region of Chu, returning from the market, paused to rest by the roadside. A fortune-teller approached from behind, stopped, and struck up a conversation with the farmer. Suddenly, gazing at the farmer's face, he said, "Your countenance bodes ill; within three days, you will suffer financial loss and also face punishment from the authorities." The farmer replied, "My taxes are fully paid, and I have never been fond of quarrels in my life—how could such punishment come to me?" The fortune-teller said, "I do not know the reason, but your facial complexion is thus; you must be cautious!" The farmer, unconvinced, bowed slightly and took his leave, returning home. The next day, the farmer went to the fields to graze his calf. A post horse passed by, and the calf, mistaking the horse for a tiger, charged forward and gored it to death with its horns. The groom brought a complaint against the farmer to the magistrate, who, showing leniency, only ordered the farmer to compensate for the horse's value. Now, it is known that water buffalo, upon sighting a tiger, will inevitably fight it; thus, cattle merchants, when camping in the open, use their buffalo for self-defense, and if they see a horse approaching from afar, they hastily drive the buffalo away to avoid any mistaken attack.
Commentary
This tale discusses the customs surrounding the trade of cattle.
If one were to directly state, "The cattle dealer slept in the open, always using his cattle for self-defense, and upon seeing a horse approach from afar, he would hastily drive them away to avoid any accidental collision," then this piece would be merely a general account of folk customs. But by adding the tale of the farmer and the fortune-teller, it becomes an engaging story. Of course, this does not mean that Pu Songling truly believed in physiognomy.