Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio translated by Ying Ning

Translation

Zi Fu was a native of Luodian, Ju County. My father died when I was young. He was very smart and passed the examination as a scholar at the age of fourteen. His mother loved him very much and never allowed him to go out to play in the wilderness. He was engaged to the daughter of the Xiao family, but the girl died before he got married, so he was not married yet.

On the Lantern Festival, his uncle’s son Wu Sheng invited him to go out for a sightseeing trip. As soon as he arrived outside the village, a servant came to his uncle's house and called Wu Sheng away. Prince Fu saw many women playing, so he took advantage of his interest and wandered around alone. There was a girl with a maid, holding a plum blossom in her hand, with a peerless appearance and a smile on her face.

Wang Sheng watched so intently that he even forgot about the taboos between men and women. The girl walked a few steps over, turned around and said to the maid: "This young man's eyes are shining like a thief!" She threw the flowers on the ground and walked away talking and laughing. Wang Sheng picked up the flower, feeling very sad, as if he had lost his soul, and walked back gloomily.

When I got home, I hid the plum blossoms under the pillow, lay down with my head hanging down, and fell asleep without talking or eating. His mother was very worried and asked people to offer sacrifices to the gods to drive out evil spirits. However, his illness became more serious and his body quickly lost weight. He asked a doctor to diagnose and treat him and asked him to take medicine to relieve his symptoms, but he became dazed and seemed to be fascinated by something. His mother asked him with concern how he got sick, but he just remained silent and didn't answer.

Wu Sheng happened to arrive, so he asked him to ask in private. Wu Sheng arrived at the bed, and Wang Zifu shed tears as soon as he saw him. Wu Sheng sat by the bed and comforted him, then slowly asked him about the reason for his illness. Wang Sheng told him the truth and begged him to find a way. Wu Sheng smiled and said: "You are too stupid. How difficult is it to realize this wish? I will definitely check it for you.

When hiking in the wild, she must not be the daughter of a wealthy family. If she If you haven't been betrothed to anyone else, this marriage will definitely be successful; otherwise, if you spend more money on it, you will probably agree to it. As long as you recover from your illness, I will take care of it." The prince obeyed, and he didn't realize it. smiled. Wu Sheng came out and told his aunt, looking for the woman's residence. But after searching everywhere, there is no trace or clue.

My mother was very worried and couldn't think of any solution. However, since Wu Sheng left, Wang Zifu became cheerful and began to eat something. A few days later, Wu Sheng came to visit again. Wang Sheng asked him how things went. Wu Sheng lied to him and said, "I have already found out. Whose family did I think she was from? It turns out she is my aunt's daughter, your cousin, who is not yet engaged.

Although the cousins ??are Intermarriage is a bit inappropriate. Telling them the truth will not fail." Wang Sheng smiled happily and asked, "Where does she live?" Wu Sheng lied to him and said, "In the southwest mountains, about thirty years away from here." Here." Wang Sheng asked him again and again, and Wu Sheng firmly stated that he was responsible for the matter, so he left.

The prince obeyed this diet and gradually increased his diet, and he got better and recovered day by day. Look under the pillow. Although the flower has withered, its petals have not yet fallen. Playing with it while thinking about it attentively, it's like seeing that girl. He complained that Wu Sheng could not come and wrote to invite him. Wu Sheng hesitated and refused to come. Wang Sheng was very angry and depressed all day long.

My mother was afraid that he would get sick again, so she hurriedly asked someone to marry him. As soon as I discussed it with him, I shook my head to express my disagreement. I just look forward to Wu Sheng every day. There was no news from Wu Sheng, and he became even more resentful. Then I thought that thirty miles is not a long journey, so why do I have to rely on others? So he put the plum blossoms in his sleeves and went to look for them out of anger, but his family didn't know.

Walking alone, with nowhere to ask for directions, I just walked towards Nanshan. After walking for more than thirty miles, I saw mountains surrounded by mountains, full of refreshing greenery, it was so quiet that no pedestrians could be seen, and only birds could pass through the steep path. From a distance, you can see a small village at the bottom of the valley, hidden among the flowers and trees.

He went down the mountain into the village and saw that there were not many houses. Although they were all thatched houses, they felt very neat and elegant. There is a house with a door facing north. There are weeping willows in front of the door. The peach and apricot flowers inside the wall are particularly prosperous, and there are also slender green bamboos in the middle. Wild birds are chirping inside. It must be someone else's garden, so I don't dare to go in rashly.

Looking back, I saw a large smooth and clean stone at the door opposite, so I sat down to rest on it. After a while, I heard a woman calling in a long and delicate voice inside the wall: "Xiao Rong".

While I was standing there listening carefully, a girl walked over from east to west, holding an apricot flower and lowering her head to put it on her bun. When he looked up and saw Wang Sheng, he stopped interfering and went in holding the flowers with a smile on his face.

If you look closely, you will see that it is the girl you met on the road during the Lantern Festival. I suddenly felt happy, but I thought that there was no reason to go in and call my aunt, and I was worried that I had never interacted with her before, so I was afraid of making a mistake. There was no one inside the gate to ask. Sometimes he sat and sometimes he lay down, walking around restlessly from morning until past noon, looking around eagerly, forgetting even his hunger and thirst. From time to time, I saw the woman peeking out with half of her face, as if she was surprised why he didn't leave here.

Suddenly an old woman walked out on crutches and said to the prince's suit: "Where are you from, young man? I heard that you have been here since the morning and have been here until now. What do you plan to do? Is it possible that you are also from the prince's suit?" Aren't you hungry?" Wang Sheng stood up quickly to salute her and replied, "I'm here to visit my relatives." The old woman was deaf and could not hear clearly. Wang Sheng said loudly again.

I asked him: "What are your relatives' surnames?" Wang Sheng couldn't answer. The old woman smiled and said: "It's really strange. You don't even know their names, why are you visiting relatives? I think you, young man, are also a nerd. Why don't you come with me, eat some coarse rice, and there is a small bed at home to sleep on. "It won't be too late to visit again after I go back tomorrow morning and find out my name."

Wang Sheng was hungry and wanted to eat, and he was very happy at the thought of being able to get close to that beautiful woman. Following the old woman in, she saw a white stone pavement in front of the door, with red flowers on both sides, and petals scattered on the stone steps. She walked zigzag westward, and opened another door. The yard was full of bean shed flower stands. He was politely invited into the house. The painted walls were as clean and bright as mirrors. Begonia trees and flowers outside the window poked their way into the house. The mattresses, tables, chairs, and beds were all clean and smooth.

As soon as I sat down, someone peeked vaguely out of the window. The old woman shouted: "Xiao Rong! Hurry up and cook." A maid outside screamed in agreement. After sitting down, he explained his family background and family background in detail. The old woman asked: "Is your grandfather's surname Wu?" Wang Sheng said: "Yes." The old woman said in surprise: "You are my nephew! Your mother is my sister. In recent years, because our family is poor and we have no boys, we have not been able to hear from each other. My nephew has grown so big that I still don’t know him.” Wang Sheng said, “I came here just to see my aunt in a hurry. I was so busy that I forgot my last name." The old woman said, "My husband's family name is Qin, and he has no children. He only has one daughter, who was also born to his younger wife. Her mother remarried, and she was left to me to raise. She is not dull, but she lacks education. She laughs but does not know her sorrow. Wait for a while and let her come and pay homage to you." After a while, the maid prepared a meal and a fat chicken. The old woman persuaded him diligently that after dinner, the maid came to clear away the dishes. The old woman said: "Go and call Ning Gu." The maid agreed and left. For a while, I heard faint laughter coming from outside the door. The old woman shouted again: "Ying Ning, your aunt and cousin are here."

There was constant laughter outside the door. The maid pushed her into the room, covering her mouth and laughing uncontrollably. The old woman glared and said, "There are guests here, laughing and joking, what do they look like?" The girl stood there holding back her laughter, and Wang Sheng bowed to her. The old woman said: "This is cousin Wang, your aunt's son. The whole family doesn't know each other, it's really a joke." Wang Sheng asked: "How old is your cousin?" The old woman didn't hear clearly, and Wang Sheng said again Read it again. The girl laughed so hard that she couldn't stand up straight again.

The old woman said to Wang Sheng: "The lack of training I mentioned can be seen here. She is already sixteen years old, and she is still as stupid as a child." Wang Sheng said: " He is one year younger than my nephew. "My nephew is already seventeen years old. Was he born in the year of Geng Wu?" Wang Sheng nodded. The old woman asked again: "Which family does my nephew's daughter-in-law belong to?" She replied: "Not yet." "Why is my nephew not yet engaged at the age of seventeen when he is so talented and handsome? Yingning doesn't have a husband's family yet. You two are a couple." It's very good, but it's a pity that my cousins ??are jealous."

Wang Sheng didn't say anything, he just stared at Ying Ning and didn't care about anything else. The maid whispered to the girl: "He has piercing eyes, and he has not changed his thief behavior." Yingning laughed again and said to the maid: "Go and see if the peach blossoms are blooming?" He quickly stood up and covered himself with his sleeves. Mouth, walked out with small steps. When he got outside the door, he burst out laughing. The old woman also stood up and asked her maid to spread out the bedding and give Wang Sheng a place to rest.

He added: "It's not easy for my nephew to come here. I should stay for three to five days and send you back later. If you feel lonely and dull, there is a small garden behind the house where you can go and relax; there are also books to read."< /p>

The next day, when I came to the back of the house, there was indeed a small garden of half an acre. The tender green grass was like a layer of felt, and willow catkins were scattered all over the path; there were three thatched cottages, flowers and trees All around. He was walking among the flowers when he heard rustling in the trees. He raised his head and saw that it was Ying Ning who was on top. When she saw the prince uniform, she laughed wildly and almost fell off.

Wang Sheng said: "Don't be like this, I'm going to fall." Ying Ning smiled as he came down, and he couldn't help it. Just when he was about to land, he dropped his hand and the laughter stopped. Wang Sheng supported her and secretly pinched her wrist. Yingning laughed again and leaned against the tree, unable to move. It took a long time before it ended. Wang Sheng waited until her laughter stopped, then took out the plum blossoms in his sleeves and showed them to her. Yingning took the flower and said, "It has withered. Why are you still keeping it?"

Wang Sheng said, "My sister threw it down during the Lantern Festival, so I kept it." Yingning said Asked: "What's the point of keeping it?" Wang Sheng said: "It's used to express love and never forget it. Since I met you on the Lantern Festival, I missed you so hard that I became seriously ill and felt that I couldn't survive; I didn't expect to see you again. , I hope you will show mercy to me." Ying Ning said, "This is a small matter. What are you reluctant to do with your relatives? When my cousin comes back, I will definitely ask the old servant to come and pack a big bundle to give away. "I'll give it to you." Wang Sheng asked, "Is my sister stupid?" Ying Ning said, "Why is she stupid?" Wang Sheng said, "I don't love flowers, I love holding flowers." Ah." Ying Ning said, "There is love between relatives. Is this love necessary?" Wang Sheng said, "The love I am talking about is not the love between relatives, but the love between husband and wife." Ning asked: "What's the difference?"

Wang Sheng said: "We share the same bed and pillow at night." Ying Ning lowered his head and thought for a long time, and said: "I'm not used to it. Sleeping with strangers." Before he could finish his words, the maid came quietly, and Wang Sheng slipped away in panic.

After a while, we met in the old woman's room. The old woman asked: "Where have you been?" Yingning replied that she was talking in the garden. The old woman said: "The meal has been cooked for a long time. If you have a long story, I will keep talking."

Ying Ning said: "My cousin wants to sleep with me." The prince agreed. She was very embarrassed and hurriedly glared at her. Yingning smiled slightly and said nothing more. Fortunately, the old woman didn't hear her and kept asking. Wang Sheng quickly covered it up with other words. Then he scolded Yingning in a low voice. Yingning asked: "Shouldn't you say what you just said?" Wang Sheng said: "You said it behind someone else's back."

Yingning said: "How can you do it behind someone else's back?" Looking at my old mother. Besides, sleeping is a normal thing, so what should I avoid?" Wang Sheng sighed at her stupidity, unable to make her understand.

Just after dinner, the family came to the prince with two donkeys to serve him. It turned out to be like this: After waiting for Wang Sheng for a long time but not seeing him come home, my mother began to become suspicious; she searched almost all over the village, but there was still no trace. So I went to ask Wu Sheng. Wu Sheng remembered what he had said before and told them to search in the direction of the southwest mountain. I searched several villages for a day before arriving here.

Wang Sheng came to the door and happened to meet them. He went in to tell the old woman and asked to take Ying Ning back with him. The old woman said happily: "I have this wish, and it didn't happen overnight. It's just that this old bone can't walk long distances. Fortunately, my nephew took my sister there and let her know her aunt. It's really great." She called Yingning. . Yingning came with a smile.

The old woman said: "What's so exciting about laughing all the time? If I could stop laughing, I would be a perfect person." Then she glared at her angrily. Then he said: "Big brother wants to take you with me, so you can go and dress up." He entertained the Wang family for a meal before sending them out, and told them: "Auntie's family has abundant land and property, and can afford to have a leisurely meal."

Don’t come back when you get there, and learn a little bit about poetry and etiquette so that you can serve your parents-in-law in the future. I’ll ask my aunt to find a good husband for you.” The two of them set off. When I walked to the col and turned around, I vaguely saw the old woman leaning on the door and looking north.

When we got home, my mother was surprised to see how beautiful the girl was and asked who it was. Wang Zifu replied that she was her aunt's daughter. Mother said: "What Wu Sheng told you earlier was a lie.

I don’t have a sister, how can I have a niece? Asked the girl again, Yingning replied: "I was not born to this mother." My father’s surname was Qin. I was still an infant when he passed away, so I can’t remember clearly. "

My mother said: "It is absolutely true that I have a sister who married into a family named Qin; but she has been dead for a long time, how can she still be alive? So he asked in detail about the shape of his face and whether he had any moles. The situation was completely consistent. The mother said in surprise, "That's what it looks like." But he has been dead for many years, so why is he still alive? "While he was wondering, Wu Sheng came, and Ying Ning hid in the inner room.

Wu Sheng asked about the reason, and after thinking about it for a long time, he suddenly asked: "Is this girl's name Ying Ning? "Wang Sheng said yes. Wu Sheng kept complaining about strange things. When asked how he knew, Wu Sheng said: "After the death of Qin's aunt, my uncle lived alone. He was fascinated by the fox and died of tuberculosis. The fox gave birth to a daughter named Yingning. She was wrapped in swaddling clothes and sleeping on the bed. Everyone in the family saw her.

After my uncle passed away, the fox still came often. Later, he asked the Heavenly Master to draw a talisman and paste it on the wall, and the fox took his daughter away. Could it be this? "Everyone was speculating about the suspicious places, and they only heard the sound of eating coming from the inner room, all filled with Ying Ning's laughter. The mother said, "This girl is too naive. "Wu Sheng asked to see her in person. His mother walked into the inner room, but the girl was still laughing.

The mother urged her to come out, and then she tried her best to hold back her laughter, and faced the wall for a while before walking out. Inner room. After bowing, she turned around and hurried into the room, laughing loudly again. All the women in the room were made to laugh.

Wu Sheng proposed to go to the mountains to explore. What's weird, it's also a matchmaker. When he found the village, all the houses were gone, only scattered mountain flowers were there. Wu Sheng recalled that the place where his aunt was buried seemed to be not far away; but the tomb had been buried. She couldn't identify her, so she had to turn back with a sigh in surprise.

The mother suspected that the girl was a ghost, so she went in and told her what Wu Sheng had said, but the girl was not afraid at all; she felt pity and comforted her that she was homeless. She didn't look sad, she just smiled innocently. No one could guess what happened. Her mother asked her to live with her little daughter. She came to say hello at dawn, and she started sewing with a skill that no one could compare with. Fuck her.

She just loves to laugh and can't help it; but her smile is beautiful and her laughter won't damage her charm. People like her very much and compete with her. Close. The mother chose an auspicious day to prepare for their wedding, but she was always afraid that she was a ghost and would secretly peek at her in the sunlight.

On that day, she was asked to wear it. Dressed up like a newlywed, Yingning laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten up to salute, so she had no choice but to give up. Wang Zifu thought she was too silly and was afraid of leaking the couple's secrets; but Yingning was very tight-lipped and didn't reveal a word. Whenever her mother was sad and angry, Ying Ning would come to her and smile to calm her down. If a maid made a minor mistake and was afraid of being beaten, she would often ask her to talk to her mother. If the maid made a mistake and confessed her mistake, she would often be exempted from punishment.

But Ying Ning’s love for flowers has become a hobby. She searched around the houses of relatives and friends, and secretly pawned jewelry to buy good varieties. After a few months, there was nothing in front of the steps, beside the fence, or next to the toilet. There was no place full of flowers. There was a wooden stand behind the courtyard, which was close to the neighbor's house to the west. Ying Ning often climbed up and picked the flowers to wear in hairpins and admire them.

My mother. When they met, Ying Ning always scolded her. One day, Xi Neighbor's son stared at her, and instead of avoiding her, he started to laugh. She was interested in him and felt more lustful in her heart. Ying Ning pointed to the bottom of the wall and climbed down the tree with a smile. She thought it was a place for a date and was very happy.

As soon as it got dark, she climbed down the tree. As expected, Yingning was there at the foot of the wall. He rushed towards her and raped her. Her lower part felt like it was pierced by an awl, and she screamed loudly and fell to the ground. Upon closer inspection, it was not Yingning, but a dead tree lying on it. Next to the wall, what was revealed was a hole that had been exposed by the rain. When the neighbor's father heard the howling, he hurried out to investigate, but he groaned but said nothing before telling her that his wife was here. The truth. When I shined a light on the hole, I saw a big scorpion inside, as big as a small crab. The father next door chopped the wood, caught the scorpion and killed it. He carried his son home and died in the middle of the night. The neighbor sued Wang Sheng and exposed Ying Ning's evil deeds.

The county magistrate has always admired Wang Sheng's talent and knowledge, and knew that he was a loyal and honest scholar. He thought that the old man next door to the west had made a false accusation and wanted to punish him. Wang Sheng asked for mercy and released his neighbor to go home. The mother said to Ying Ning: "You are so stupid and frivolous. You have long known that excessive happiness lurks in sorrow. Thanks to the gods of the county magistrate, I was not implicated. If I encountered a foolish official, I would have arrested my daughter-in-law and questioned her in court. I How can my son face his relatives and neighbors?"

Yingning looked serious and vowed not to laugh again. Her mother said: "There is no one who doesn't laugh, it just depends on the time." But Yingning stopped laughing from then on. Even if she deliberately teased her, she never smiled; but she never had a sad look on her face all day long.

One night, Ying Ning shed tears in front of the prince suit. Wang Sheng felt very strange. Ying Ning choked and said, "In the past, because we only had a short time together, I was afraid that I would make you surprised if I told you. Now that I see that my mother-in-law and you both love me very much, I don't have any other ideas. Maybe it won't hinder me to tell you straight away, right? I am. Born by a fox. Before my mother left, I was entrusted to my ghost mother, and we have been together for more than ten years.

I have no brothers, so the only one I can rely on is you. There is no one to pity her and she is buried with her father. She is always sad about this. If you are not afraid of the trouble and money, and let the people in the underground eliminate this sorrow and grief, you may be able to save the people who have raised your daughter. I can't bear to drown or throw it away."

Wang Sheng agreed, but he was worried that the tomb would be lost in the weeds. Yingning just said not to worry. According to the agreed date, the couple loaded the coffin in their car and went there. Ying Ning pointed out the location of the grave in the tangled bushes in the wilderness, and sure enough he found the old woman's body, with the skin still intact. Yingning held her and cried bitterly. They carried the coffin back, found the Qin family's grave, and buried them together.

That night, Wang Sheng dreamed that the old woman came to say thank you, and when he woke up, he told Ying Ning. Yingning said: "I saw her at night and asked you not to disturb you." Wang Sheng complained that he could not persuade the old woman to stay. Yingning said: "She is a ghost. How can she live in a place with many living people and strong Yang energy?"

Wang Sheng asked about Xiaorong again, and Yingning said: "She is also a fox. She is the smartest and cunningest. The fox mother left her to take care of me and often brought me food, so I am very grateful that she is always in my heart. I asked my mother last night and she said she was married. "Since then, every year during the Cold Food Festival, the couple has been together. The two of them went to the Qin family's graveyard to pay homage and sweep the grave every year. Yingning gave birth to a son a year later. This child is not afraid of strangers when he is in his arms, he smiles when he sees people, and he is very motherly.

Yishi said: "Looking at her endless laughter, she seems to be a completely heartless person. But the pranks at the foot of the wall, who can compare with her cleverness and wit. As for the sad and nostalgic ghost Mom, laughter turns into crying. I, Yingning, almost use my laughter to hide my identity.

I heard privately that there is a kind of grass in the mountains called "Laughter". I smell it. You will laugh so much that you can’t stop laughing. If you plant this kind of flower in your house, the Albizia julibrissin and Forgetwort will no longer be beautiful. As for the Jie Yuhua, it’s even more pretentious.”

Extended information

Creative background

In the early Qing Dynasty, novels based on the themes of talented people, beauties and ordinary family life were unprecedentedly popular. The aesthetic taste of novelists ranged from historical stories to the world of gods and demons. Turning more to the real society;

Pu Songling was born in the troubled times of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. From his youth, he was keen on describing strange things such as gods, ghosts and ghosts. He combined the dark social reality with the personal experiences he encountered. The "solitary anger" and "crazy" attitude towards life caused by the ups and downs were integrated into the works. He collected folk legends and used anecdotes of unofficial history as a basis for creation, and integrated them into his own personal creation and processing. In the 18th year of Kangxi (1679), he integrated the existing works into The chapters are collected into "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio";

"Ying Ning" is based on the Shandong area in the early Qing Dynasty. Pu Songling used literary techniques to process and transform folk customs based on the folk belief in supernatural animals. , increasing the human charm of the fox fairy; through the original description of the normal folk customs and customs of gods, ghosts and ghosts, it critically demonstrates the backward, pedantic, deformed and even pathological aspects of China's old feudal system and feudal culture. and bashing.