Original Text
Wang Xi, styled Gui'an, was a scion of an aristocratic family in Daming Prefecture. Once, Wang Gui'an traveled south, mooring his boat by the riverbank. On a neighboring boat was a boatman's daughter, sitting inside and embroidering shoes. Her graceful bearing was exquisite, truly a peerless beauty. Wang Gui'an gazed at her for a long time, and the girl seemed not to notice his staring. He then loudly recited the line, "A Luoyang girl lives across the lane," deliberately making sure she could hear. The girl seemed to understand that he did this for her sake; she slightly raised her head, cast a sidelong glance at him, then lowered her head again to continue embroidering. Wang Gui'an's heart grew even more restless, so he tossed a silver ingot over, which landed precisely on the girl's lap. She picked up the silver and threw it away, letting it fall on the shore. Wang Gui'an retrieved the silver, feeling even more intrigued, and then threw over a gold bracelet, which landed at the girl's feet. She continued her work, paying it no heed. Shortly after, the boatman returned from elsewhere. Wang Gui'an, fearing he might discover the bracelet and cause trouble, grew extremely anxious, but the girl calmly covered the bracelet with both her feet. The boatman untied the mooring rope and sailed away, leaving Wang Gui'an utterly dejected, sitting there lost in thought. At that time, Wang Gui'an's wife had recently passed away, and he regretted not having immediately sent a matchmaker to secure the match. He inquired among the boatmen about who the girl was, but none knew her name or family. Returning to his own boat, he hastily pursued the girl's vessel, but it had vanished without a trace, and he knew not where it had gone. Having no other recourse, Wang Gui'an turned his boat southward. After finishing his business, he journeyed north, searching carefully along the riverbank again, yet there was still no news. When he returned home, whether eating or sleeping, his thoughts were ever haunted by that girl.
After a year had passed, he journeyed south again and hired a boat by the river, making it his home. Each day he carefully inspected the passing vessels, becoming familiar with the oars and sails of every boat that came and went, yet he never saw the shadow of the boat he had encountered the previous year. Half a year later, his traveling funds were exhausted, and he had to return home. Whether walking or sitting, he constantly yearned for the maiden, unable to set his heart at ease. One night, he dreamed that he came to a village by the river, passed through several gates, and saw a household with a wicker gate facing south, inside which a sparse bamboo fence served as a hedge. Thinking it was a garden pavilion, he walked straight in. Upon entering the garden, he saw a silk tree covered in red blossoms. He mused to himself: "The ancient poem's line, 'Before the gate a tree of horsehair flowers,' is exactly this scene." Taking a few more steps, he encountered a neat fence woven from reeds. Passing through this fence, he saw three north-facing rooms with both doors closed. To the south was a small chamber, its window shaded by red-flowered cannas. Wang Gui'an leaned in to look and found a clothes rack by the door, hanging with a flowered skirt. Realizing this was a maiden's boudoir, he panicked and started to retreat. But the person inside had already noticed, and someone ran out to see who the visitor was, revealing a slight face—it was none other than the girl from the boat. Overjoyed, Wang Gui'an exclaimed, "So we do have a day of reunion!" Just as he was about to step forward and embrace her, the girl's father returned, jolting him awake, and he knew it was but a dream. Yet the scenes in the dream were all vivid, as if before his eyes. He kept this secret strictly, fearing that speaking of it to others would ruin this beautiful dream.
After another year had passed, he once again traveled to Zhenjiang. To the south of the city lived a certain Xu Taipu, who was a family friend of Wang Gui'an's; he invited Wang Gui'an to his home for a drink. Wang Gui'an rode his horse there, but the horse unknowingly led him astray into a small village, where the path and scenery seemed as familiar as if he had seen them in a past life. Within a gate stood a mimosa tree, exactly matching the landscape of his dream. Astonished, he dismounted and entered the courtyard, and every sight before him was no different from what he had dreamed. Going further inside, he saw that the number of rooms also matched his dream. Since the dream had come true, Wang Gui'an no longer hesitated and went straight to the small southern room, where the boat girl was indeed inside. Seeing him from afar, she rose in surprise, hid behind the door, and shouted sternly, "What man is this?" Wang Gui'an hesitated, still wondering if he was in a dream. Seeing him approach too closely, she slammed the door shut with a bang. Wang Gui'an said, "Do you not remember the one who threw the gold bracelet?" He then recounted in detail his longing for her and told her about the dream. Through the window, she questioned him about his family background, and Wang Gui'an answered each question. She said, "Since you are from an official family, you must already have a beautiful wife at home; why would you need me?" Wang Gui'an replied, "If it were not for seeking you, I would have married long ago." She said, "If what you say is true, that is enough to know your heart. My feelings are hard to tell my parents, but I have refused several marriage proposals because of this. The gold bracelet is still with me; I expected that the one who cherished it would surely have news. My parents have just gone to visit my mother's relatives and will return soon. You should go back for now and send a matchmaker to propose; I believe it will surely succeed. If you try to force a union with improper means, you are mistaken." Wang Gui'an hastily withdrew. From afar, she called out, "Wang Lang," and said, "My name is Yunniang, my surname is Meng, and my father's name is Jiangli." Wang Gui'an noted her words and left.
Wang Gui'an had finished his meal at Xu Taipu's house early and returned, seeking an audience with Meng Jiangli. Meng Jiangli welcomed him inside, and they sat down by the bamboo fence. Wang Gui'an introduced his family background, then stated his purpose, producing one hundred taels of silver as a betrothal gift. Meng Jiangli said, "My daughter is already betrothed." Wang Gui'an replied, "I have made thorough inquiries; your esteemed daughter is indeed still awaiting a match. Why do you refuse me so flatly?" Meng Jiangli answered, "What I just said is the truth; I dare not deceive you." Hearing this, Wang Gui'an's spirits sank, and he took his leave with a bow. That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, finding no one to act as a matchmaker. He had originally intended to confide in Xu Taipu but feared that marrying a boatman's daughter would invite ridicule. Now, pressed by urgency and lacking a go-between, he could only turn to the old gentleman for help. At dawn, Wang Gui'an went to Xu Taipu and recounted the situation truthfully. Xu Taipu said, "That old man is a relative of mine; he is my grandmother's direct descendant. Why did you not speak sooner?" Only then did Wang Gui'an reveal the secret in his heart. Xu Taipu asked doubtfully, "Jiangli is indeed poor, but he has never made his living by boating. Could you have been mistaken?" So he sent his son, Dalang, to see Meng Jiangli. Meng Jiangli said, "My family, though poor, does not trade in marriage. The other day, the young master came with silver to propose himself, assuming I would be swayed by money, so I dared not aspire to an official household. Now that you, sir, have come as a matchmaker, I trust there will be no error. However, my stubborn daughter is willful and spoiled; even with a good family, she often refuses outright. Thus, I must consult her, lest she later resent the match." With that, he rose and went inside, returning shortly to bow to Dalang, saying he would abide by Xu Taipu's wishes. They agreed on the wedding date, and Dalang took his leave. After Dalang reported back to his father, Wang Gui'an prepared lavish betrothal gifts and delivered them to Meng's home, then borrowed Xu Taipu's residence for the wedding ceremony.
Three days after the wedding, Wang Gui'an bid farewell to his father-in-law and took Yunniang northward by boat to return home. One night, as they lodged on the boat, Wang asked Yunniang, "When I first met you here, I suspected you were not the daughter of a boatman. Where were you going that day?" Yunniang replied, "My uncle lives north of the river; I had borrowed a small boat to visit him. Though our family could barely sustain itself, we held no regard for unearned wealth. How laughable that you, with such narrow vision, repeatedly tried to tempt me with gold and silver. At first, hearing you recite poetry, I knew you were a refined scholar, but I also suspected you might be a frivolous rake, seeking to seduce me as a wanton woman. Had my father seen that gold bracelet, you would have had no place to bury your bones. Was it not that I cherished talent too much?" Wang smiled and said, "You are indeed shrewd, but you too fell into my trap!" Yunniang asked, "What matter?" Wang remained silent. She pressed him urgently, and he finally said, "As we draw nearer home, I can no longer keep this secret. To tell you the truth: I already have a wife at home, the daughter of Minister Wu." Yunniang did not believe him, and Wang deliberately exaggerated his words as if they were true. Her face changed color; she was silent for a moment, then suddenly rose and rushed out. Wang, slipping on his shoes, chased after her, but Yunniang had already leaped into the river. Wang cried out loudly, alarming the other boats, yet the night was dark and hazy, with only the starlight twinkling across the river. Wang mourned and grieved all night long, sailing downstream, offering a heavy reward for anyone who could find Yunniang's body, but no one had seen it. He returned home in deep melancholy, torn between sorrow and anxiety, and feared that his father-in-law would come to visit his daughter, leaving him without words to answer. His brother-in-law held an official post in Henan, so he ordered a carriage and set out to visit him there.
After more than a year had passed, Wang Gui'an finally returned. On the way, he encountered rain and sought shelter at a humble dwelling. He found the house clean and tidy, with an old woman inside playing with a little boy. As soon as the boy saw Wang Gui'an enter, he rushed over and reached out to be held, which greatly surprised Wang. Observing the child's delicate features and charming appearance, he lifted him onto his knee. The old woman called the boy away, but he refused to leave. Soon the rain cleared and the sky brightened; Wang Gui'an handed the child back to the old woman and went to the courtyard to have his servant pack the luggage. The boy cried out, "Father is leaving!" The old woman, thinking the child's words improper, scolded him repeatedly to stop such talk and carried him away by force. As Wang sat waiting for his servant to finish packing, a beautiful woman suddenly emerged from behind a screen holding the child—it was Yunniang. Startled, he heard her curse, "You faithless man! Leaving this flesh of your flesh behind, how am I to manage him?" Only then did Wang realize the child was his own son, and a wave of sorrow surged within him. Without time to ask how Yunniang had fared, he hastily swore by heaven and earth that his earlier words were but a jest, not true. Yunniang's anger then turned to grief, and she wept bitterly before him. It turned out that the master of this house was an old man named Mo, who, at sixty with no son, had taken his wife on a pilgrimage to worship Guanyin at the South Sea. On their return, their boat moored by the riverbank, and Yunniang, drifting with the current, happened to collide with their vessel. Old Mo ordered his servant to rescue her from the water, and after a night of efforts to revive her, Yunniang gradually regained consciousness. Seeing she was a beautiful woman, the old couple were overjoyed, adopted her as their daughter, and brought her home. After a few months, they wished to find her a husband, but Yunniang refused. Ten months later, she gave birth to a son, whom she named Wang Jisheng. When Wang Gui'an came to seek shelter from the rain at the Mo household, Wang Jisheng was just one year old. Wang then unpacked his luggage, entered the inner chamber to pay respects to Old Mo and his wife, and they acknowledged each other as father-in-law and son-in-law. After a few days, Wang took his family and returned home. Upon arrival, he found Old Meng sitting and waiting, having already been there for two months. When Old Meng first arrived, he noticed the servants' confused expressions and speech, which made him suspicious and perplexed; but upon seeing his daughter and son-in-law, he was relieved and overjoyed. After hearing their account of the past years' events, Old Meng finally understood why the servants had been evasive.
Commentary
This story recounts the romantic tale of a young man and woman in the mortal world. Apart from a dream that foretells events, adding a touch of poetic romance, it is devoid of supernatural elements, making it quite rare. It depicts the impetuous, sincere, and persistent pursuit of love by Wang Gui'an, a scion of an aristocratic family, as well as Yunniang's reserved acceptance of his affection, which is gentle, profound, and measured. Particularly vivid and moving is the portrayal of the newlywed couple's joyful teasing of each other, which leads to a reversal of fortune from bliss to sorrow. Rich with the flavor of real life, Yunniang's standards for marriage—such as her expectations for her suitor's status and upbringing, the necessity of a proper matchmaking ceremony, her refusal of premarital intimacy, and her absolute rejection of bigamy or concubinage—offer valuable insights for correctly interpreting the views on marriage and love in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" as well as the marital customs of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
This piece is not long in length, yet it is written with twists and turns, vivid and lively. Dan Minglun commented: "The prose soars and transforms, like a living dragon or a lively tiger, elusive and unfathomable. Yet if one seeks its method, it is merely the art of restraint... As the ancient verse says: 'Where hills and streams end and there seems no road, in the dark willows and bright flowers another village appears.' At the grand conclusion, it still refuses to let Yuniang appear directly, instead using Jisheng to recognize his father, deliberately creating a deceptive array. Understanding this one trick can save one's writing from the faults of mediocrity, bluntness, stiffness, and weakness."