Original Text
In the prefecture of Yizhou there lived a young man named Wang, who lost his father in childhood and thus became the sole representative of his family line. His household was exceedingly poor, yet he was a youth of handsome bearing and elegant demeanor. A wealthy man named Lan took a great liking to him and betrothed his daughter to Wang, promising to build him a house and provide him with an estate. Not long after the marriage, old Lan passed away. Wang's brothers-in-law treated him with contempt, and his wife grew even more arrogant, often regarding her husband as little more than a servant or slave. She feasted on delicacies herself, but when Wang returned home, she would set before him only a bowl of coarse rice, a ladle of broth, and break two twigs to serve as chopsticks. Wang endured all this. At nineteen, he went to the prefectural seat to take the scholar's examination but failed. Upon returning home, finding his wife absent, he saw that the mutton soup in the pot was already cooked and helped himself to some. When his wife entered, she said nothing but simply took the pot away. Wang, deeply ashamed, threw down his chopsticks and cried, "To suffer such treatment in life, I might as well die!" His wife grew angry and asked him when he intended to die, then immediately handed him a rope to use for hanging himself. In a rage, Wang hurled the soup bowl, striking his wife on the forehead and drawing blood. Filled with grief and indignation, he left the house, convinced that death was indeed preferable to life, and with a rope tucked in his bosom, he made his way into the deep mountains.
Scholar Wang arrived beneath the thicket and was about to select a branch to tie his rope when he suddenly noticed, among the earthen cliffs, a slight glimpse of a skirt and blouse. In the blink of an eye, a maidservant emerged, who, upon seeing Wang, hurried back as if vanishing like a shadow, leaving no trace of a crack on the cliff face. Wang knew at once that this was a demon, but since he had come seeking death, he felt no fear; instead, he untied the rope and sat down to observe the situation. After a long while, the maidservant again showed half her face, peeped out, and then withdrew. Wang thought that following such a ghostly creature would surely lead to death, so he picked up a stone and knocked it against the earthen wall, saying, "If it is possible to enter the earth, pray show me a path! I have come not for pleasure, but to seek death." For a long time, there was no sound. Wang repeated his words once more. Then a voice from within said, "If you seek death, pray step back for now, and come again at nightfall." The voice was exceedingly clear and delicate, as faint as the buzzing of a bee. Wang replied, "Very well," and withdrew to await the night. Soon, the sky was filled with stars, and the earthen cliff suddenly transformed into a grand mansion, its two doors standing silently open. Wang followed the steps inside, and after a few paces, he found a river before him, its waters surging and steaming like a hot spring. He touched it with his hand and found it as hot as boiling water, though he could not tell its depth. Suspecting this was the place the spirits had pointed out for his death, he leaped in. A wave of heat pierced through his layered garments, and his skin ached as if rotting, but fortunately he floated on the surface without sinking. He swam for some time, gradually finding the heat bearable, and then struggled to climb ashore, reaching the southern bank without being scalded. Wang continued forward and, in the distance, saw a tall house with lamplight, so he ran toward it. Suddenly, a fierce dog rushed out, tearing his clothes and socks. He picked up a stone and threw it, and the dog retreated a little. Then a pack of dogs gathered before him, barking loudly, each as large as a calf. In this moment of peril, the maidservant emerged and drove the dogs back, saying, "Is this the gentleman seeking death? My mistress pities your dire straits and has sent me to escort you to a place of comfort, where you shall suffer no more calamities." With these words, she took up a lantern to guide him, opened a rear door, and led him into the darkness. After a while, they came to a house where bright candlelight shone through the window. The maidservant said, "Enter on your own; I shall take my leave."
Scholar Wang entered the room, glanced around, and realized he had arrived at his own home. He immediately turned and fled. Just then, he encountered the old woman who served his wife, who rushed at him and said, "I have been searching for you all day; where do you think you are going now!" With that, she pulled him back into the room. His wife, her head wrapped in a handkerchief over the wound, rose from the bed and greeted him with a smile, saying, "We have been husband and wife for over a year now; can you not see that I was only jesting with you? I have already confessed my fault. Though you suffered some verbal reproach, I have truly been wounded on the forehead by your blow; surely your anger can be somewhat assuaged." Having spoken, she took two large ingots of silver from beside the bed and placed them in Wang's bosom, saying, "From now on, all matters of food, clothing, and household expenses shall be decided by you—will that do?" Wang remained silent, cast the silver aside, and rushed out the door, still intent on returning to the deep mountains to knock upon the gate of that mansion. When he reached the wilderness, he saw the maidservant, who, being frail, walked slowly, and from time to time raised her lantern to gaze at him from afar. Wang hastened his pace and called out, and the lantern came to a halt. As he drew near, the maidservant said, "You have followed again; this truly betrays my mistress's heartfelt intentions." Wang replied, "I have come seeking death, not to discuss the means of living. Your mistress is of a noble household, and in the underworld, she must also require servants. I am willing to serve in your domain, for I find no joy in living in this world." The maidservant said, "A good death is not as good as a wretched life; how absurd is your thinking! In our household, there are no other tasks—only dredging rivers, removing filth, feeding dogs, and carrying corpses. If the work is not done to satisfaction, one may have ears or nose cut off, or legs and feet severed—can you endure that?" Wang answered, "I can." They entered through the back gate, and Wang asked, "How are the tasks performed? You spoke of carrying corpses—how can there be so many dead?" The maidservant said, "My mistress, out of compassion, has established a 'Garden for the Orphaned,' where she shelters the souls of those who died violently and have no home in the underworld. The ghosts number in the thousands, and each day some die, so they must be carried out for burial. Come, let us go and see."
After a short while, they entered a gate upon which was inscribed the words "Garden of the Orphaned." Stepping inside, they saw a chaotic jumble of houses, with a stench so foul it assailed the nostrils. The ghosts within the garden, drawn by the lantern light, gathered around in droves, all with severed heads and missing limbs, a sight too gruesome to behold. As they turned to leave, a corpse lay sprawled beneath the wall; drawing near, they found it already mangled and bloody, its flesh in shreds. The maidservant said, "It has not been carried for half a day, and already the dogs have devoured it." She then ordered Wang to remove it at once, but his face showed reluctance. The maidservant said, "If you cannot carry it, then you may as well return to your life of ease and pleasure." Wang, having no choice, was forced to carry the corpse to a secluded spot and lay it down. He then begged the maidservant to plead on his behalf, hoping to be spared such foul work as carrying dead bodies, and she agreed. They came to a courtyard, and the maidservant said, "Wait here a while; I shall go in and announce you. The task of tending dogs is lighter, and I will strive to secure it for you. If I succeed, you must remember to repay me." She went in for a short time, then ran out, saying, "Come, come! The lady is emerging." Wang followed her inside, where lanterns hung all around the hall, and a young woman sat near the door, appearing like a celestial being of twenty or more. Wang knelt at the foot of the steps, and the woman ordered someone to raise him up, saying, "This is a scholar—how could he be set to tend dogs? Let him dwell in the Western Hall and manage the documents." Wang was overjoyed and hastily knelt again to express his gratitude. The woman said, "You seem an honest and straightforward man; you must diligently perform your duties. If there is the slightest error, your punishment will be no light matter!" Wang assented repeatedly. The maidservant led him to the Western Hall, where the beams, pillars, and walls were all clean and tidy. Wang was delighted and thanked the maidservant. He then inquired about the young woman's lineage, and the maidservant said, "Her name is Jinse, and she is the daughter of the Marquis Xue of the Eastern Sea. My name is Chunyan. Whatever you need in your daily life, just tell me." Chunyan went away for a while and returned with clothes, shoes, and bedding, placing them on the bed. Wang was pleased to have such a post. At dawn the next day, Wang rose early and began his work, registering the names of the ghosts. All the underlings came to pay their respects, offering him much wine and meat. Wang, fearing suspicion, refused all gifts. His two daily meals were all sent from within the mansion. Jinse, observing his integrity and diligence, specially bestowed upon him a scholar's cap and fine garments. Whenever there were gifts, she always sent Chunyan to deliver them. Chunyan was quite charming, and as they grew familiar, they often exchanged amorous glances. But Wang remained extremely cautious, guarding his conduct, not daring the slightest misstep, merely feigning a dull demeanor. Thus passed more than two years, and Jinse's rewards and provisions doubled the usual stipend, yet Wang remained as prudent and self-disciplined as before.
One evening, as Wang Sheng had just lain down to sleep, he heard a clamor arising from the inner chambers. Hastily rising, he grabbed his sword and went out, only to see the torches there illuminating the sky. Peering inside stealthily, he saw the courtyard filled with bandits, while the servants and attendants fled in terror in all directions. One servant urged Wang Sheng to flee with him, but Wang refused. Instead, he smeared his face with dirt, bound his waist with a sash, and mingled among the bandits, shouting loudly, "Do not disturb Mistress Xue! Simply divide the spoils, and leave nothing behind!" At this time, the bandits were searching every room for Jinse but could not find her. Knowing they had not yet discovered her, Wang slipped to the rear of the house and searched for Jinse alone. He encountered an old woman hiding there, and thus learned that Jinse and Chunyan had already climbed over the wall and fled. Wang also scaled the wall, and there he saw Jinse and Chunyan cowering in a dark corner. Wang said, "How can this place offer concealment?" Jinse replied, "I can walk no further!" Wang then cast aside his sword, lifted Jinse onto his back, and ran for two or three li, his whole body drenched in sweat. Only then did he enter a deep valley, where he set Jinse down from his shoulder and bade her rest. Suddenly, a tiger appeared. Wang was greatly alarmed and sought to intercept the beast, but the tiger had already seized Jinse in its jaws. Wang swiftly grabbed the tiger's ear and thrust his arm with all his might into its mouth, hoping to take Jinse's place. The tiger, enraged, released Jinse and bit down on Wang's arm, crunching loudly. The arm was severed and fell to the ground, and the tiger then departed. Jinse wept, saying, "How you have suffered! Truly, how you have suffered!" In the panic and confusion, Wang felt no pain at first, only noticing blood gushing like water, and he bade Chunyan tear a strip from her garment to bind the wound. Jinse quickly stopped her, bent down to retrieve the severed arm, and personally reattached it for Wang before binding it up. By then, the eastern sky had begun to pale with the dawn, and they slowly made their way back. Upon entering the gate, they saw that the house had been ruined like a heap of rubble.
After daybreak, the servants and maids gradually gathered back. Jinse herself came to the West Hall to console Wang Sheng. When she undid the bandages and looked, the broken arm bone had already been reconnected; she then applied medicinal powder to the wound before rising and departing. From then on, Jinse regarded Wang Sheng with greater esteem, allowing him to enjoy all comforts equal to her own. After Wang Sheng's arm healed, Jinse set up a feast in the inner chamber to reward him. She bade him sit, and after he declined thrice in humility, he took a seat at the side of the table. Jinse treated him like an honored guest, raising her cup to toast him. After a long while, she said, "I have already lain upon your body, and so I wish to follow the precedent of King Ping of Chu's daughter, who married the minister Zhong Jian because he had carried her on his back. But without a matchmaker, I am too embarrassed to act as my own." Wang Sheng, trembling with awe, replied, "I have received such great favor from you that even dying for you would not suffice to repay it. If I were to presume beyond my station, I fear I would be struck by lightning; I truly dare not obey your command. If you pity me for having no wife, bestowing Chunyan upon me would already be more than I deserve." One day, Jinse's elder sister Yaotai arrived, also a beauty in her forties. That evening, she summoned Wang Sheng in and bade him sit, saying, "I have come a thousand li not for any other reason but to preside over my sister's wedding; tonight you shall become husband and wife." Wang Sheng again rose to decline. Yaotai immediately ordered wine to be brought and had Jinse and Wang Sheng exchange cups. Wang Sheng firmly refused, but Yaotai seized the cups and exchanged them for them. Wang Sheng then prostrated himself in apology, took the cup, and drank. After Yaotai left, Jinse said to Wang Sheng, "To tell you the truth, I am a celestial maiden who was banished to the mortal realm for a transgression. I willingly dwelled in the underworld to gather wronged souls and atone for my sins. It happened that I encountered the calamity of a demon, which gave me the fate to lie upon your body. I invited my elder sister from afar not only to officiate our marriage but also to entrust her with managing the household so that I might return home with you." Wang Sheng rose and said respectfully, "Living in the underworld is the greatest joy! At home, I have a shrewish wife, and my dwelling is cramped and mean; surely I cannot ask you to endure living with her." Jinse smiled and said, "That is no obstacle." After they both became drunk, they retired to bed, sharing boundless bliss. A few days later, Jinse said to Wang Sheng, "It is not fitting to stay long in the underworld; please go back first, sir. Once you have settled all household affairs, I shall arrive." With that, she handed him the horse, opened the gate to let him out, and the earthen cliff closed again.
Scholar Wang rode his horse into the village, and all the villagers were greatly alarmed. When he arrived at his former home, he saw that it had been transformed into a tall and splendid mansion. It turned out that after Wang had left, his wife had summoned her two brothers, intending to give him a severe beating as revenge. But they waited until nightfall, and when Wang did not return, they departed. Someone spotted Wang's shoes in a ditch and suspected he was dead. Later, after more than a year had passed with no news of Wang, a merchant from Shaanxi, through a matchmaker, became involved with Wang's wife, Lanshi, and began cohabiting with her in Wang's house. Over half a year, many rooms were built. When the merchant went out on business, he also bought a concubine, and from then on, the household fell into discord, with the merchant often absent for months at a time. After learning of these circumstances, Wang was enraged; he tethered his horse and entered the house. He encountered the old maidservant, who fell to the ground in terror. Wang berated her harshly for some time, then ordered her to lead him to Lanshi's room. Upon entering, he found that Lanshi had already fled. Soon after, behind the house, they discovered she had hanged herself. Wang had her body returned to the Lan family, then summoned the concubine, who was about eighteen or nineteen years old and possessed some charm; Wang took her as his companion. The merchant, through the villagers, begged Wang to return the concubine, but she wept bitterly and refused to leave. Wang then drew up a complaint, intending to sue the merchant for seizing his property and wife. The merchant dared not press the matter further and, closing his shop, returned to Shaanxi. Wang grew suspicious that Jinse would break her promise and not come. One evening, as Wang was drinking with the concubine, he heard the sound of a carriage and horses at the gate; opening the door, he saw that it was Jinse who had arrived. Jinse kept only Chunyan with her and sent the other attendants away. Entering the house, the concubine bowed to Jinse in greeting, and Jinse said, "This girl, from her physiognomy, will bear sons; she can take my place in suffering." She then bestowed upon her embroidered garments and jewelry. The concubine accepted them with a bow and stood by to serve Jinse, who pulled her to sit beside her, and they chatted and laughed merrily. After a long while, Jinse said, "I am drunk and wish to sleep!" Wang also removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed, and the concubine withdrew. Returning to her own room, she found Wang lying on the bed; puzzled, she turned back to peek, but the candle in that room had been extinguished. From then on, Wang slept every night in the concubine's room. One night, the concubine rose and quietly stole to Jinse's quarters to spy, only to hear the sound of Wang and Jinse laughing and talking happily within. She was utterly astonished. Hurrying back to tell Wang, she found the bed empty. At dawn, she secretly informed Wang of this, but Wang himself was unaware, only feeling that sometimes he stayed in Jinse's room and sometimes slept in the concubine's. Wang instructed the concubine not to speak of this strange matter. As time passed, Chunyan also became intimate with Wang, and Jinse pretended not to notice. When Chunyan went into labor, she suddenly suffered a difficult birth and cried out loudly for "Mistress." As soon as Jinse entered, the child was born; lifting it up, she saw it was a boy. Jinse cut the umbilical cord for Chunyan, placed the child in her arms, and said with a smile, "Girl, do not bear more children; if you have too many, I fear it will be hard to part with them in the end." From then on, Chunyan bore no more children, while the concubine gave birth to five sons and two daughters. Thus thirty years passed, and Jinse often returned home, coming and going only at night. One day, she took Chunyan and left, never to return. When Wang reached the age of eighty, he suddenly went out one night with an old servant and never came back.
Commentary
This story tells of the lonely and suffering Scholar Wang, who, tormented and humiliated by his wife, felt that life was worse than death and wished to end his own life. He thus came to a place called the Garden of Orphans, which was specifically established to "take in the souls of those who died unjustly in the Nine Netherworlds and had no home to return to." There, through diligent work, he saved the celestial maiden Jinse during a calamity of heavenly demons, and consequently married her. Together, they returned to his hometown, where he finally enjoyed the pleasures of having both a wife and a concubine, as a husband should.
In human society, the phenomenon of the shrewish wife is common enough, but the encounter of Scholar Wang in "Jin Se" presents an extreme example. The background the author bestows upon this incident is quite noteworthy: Wang was not only weak in temperament, a dependent who failed the imperial examinations, but also, having been orphaned young and left to fend for himself in his clan, he was impoverished and lacked the crucial familial support so vital in a patriarchal society. His wife, the daughter of a wealthy man, was arrogant by nature and likely dissatisfied with the marriage from the start; once her father died, she lost all restraint. These factors combined to allow her to openly and cruelly abuse her husband. Wang's experiences in the underworld proved decisive in tempering his character, and it was this that enabled him to gallantly rescue Jin Se. But Minglun, in his commentary, extends this reasoning: "Without reaching the utmost depths of hardship, without exerting the utmost effort, how can one achieve great learning, how can one accomplish great deeds?" Yet, when Wang returned home, his wife, overcome with shame, committed suicide, and it is understandable that Jin Se then came to be with him. However, the fact that a certain merchant Jia from Shaanxi's concubine was given to Wang, and that Wang also took possession of Jin Se's maidservant, reveals the vile habits ingrained in a male-dominated society.