Amazing!

Author: Ling Yingchu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio is a collection of fictional tales written by Ling Mengchu during the late Ming Dynasty. It was completed in the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1627) and published by the Shangyou Tang bookstore the following year. Later, Ling Mengchu compiled Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Second Series, which was published in the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign (1632). Together, the two books are known as the "Two Pings." Ling Mengchu's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Second Series are collectively referred to as the "Two Pings," and they are renowned alongside Feng Menglong's "Three Canons" (Clarifying the World, Averting the World, and Awakening the World) as masterpieces of Ming Dynasty "huaben" (spoken tales) and "nihuaben" (imitated spoken tales), holding significant importance in the history of Chinese fiction.
"Huaben" originated from the Tang Dynasty practice of storytelling (shuoshuo), which became popular during the Song Dynasty and began to be published in written form. Shuoshuo refers to storytelling or narrating tales. As Lu Xun noted in Outlines of the History of Chinese Fiction, "Although the storyteller exercises ingenuity and improvises as the story unfolds, there is still a script to rely on, which is the 'huaben.'" The huaben contains only a brief outline of the story, intended for the storyteller to narrate to the audience. Later, scholars imitated huaben to write novels, expanding the plots for readers, thus giving rise to "nihuaben."
Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio is highly complex in content and varies in ideological tendencies. While the story themes are often derived from earlier works, Ling's reinterpretations reflect the social realities and era of late Ming China, imbued with his own philosophical views and disdain for the conventions of the time.
The works in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio that hold cognitive value and positive significance can be broadly categorized into two types:
The first type depicts the thoughts, actions, and destinies of merchants. The Fortuitous Transport of the Merchant and the Red Lotus of Dongting Lake, and the Persian Merchant Who Uncovered the Turtle Shell portrays overseas trade for the first time, affirming the desire of merchants to accumulate wealth through the story of Wen Ruoxu's rise to prosperity. Li Gongzuo Cleverly Interprets the Dream Message and Xie Xiaolei Intelligently Captures the Pirate on Board describes the phenomenon of merchants like Shen Lan and Shen Chun collaborating with thieves to enrich themselves. These works objectively reflect the surge in commercial activity and certain characteristics of trade that emerged in the mid-Ming Dynasty due to the rise of capitalism, as well as changing societal perceptions of merchants, indicating a growing focus on and recognition of merchants and commerce in fiction.
The second type focuses on love and marriage. In these works, Ling expresses relatively progressive views on women and marriage. Zhang Liur's Cleverly Laid Snare and Lu Huiniang's Decisive Decision to Run Off with Her Lover portrays the heroine Lu Huiniang as having the "wisdom to recognize her destined lover" among strangers and praises her "cleverly turning the tables to her advantage," as well as her courage and ingenuity in escaping the clutches of her abductor husband, Zhang Liur, and running off with a lover of her choice, reflecting a new moral perspective. Jia Xiuzhao's Revenge and the Alcoholic's Bewitchment tells the story of Wu Niangzi, who, after being betrayed, is not only understood by Jia Xiuzhao but also joins him in avenging her honor, embodying these new ideas. Luo Xijie's Firm Heart Amidst the Confined World and the Swift News of Liberation from the Prison depicts Luo Xijie's resistance against her parents' arranged marriage. The Autumn Swing Gathering at the Court of the Imperial Secretary and the Laughter and Tears of a Couple at Qing'an Temple shows the struggle of the young woman Su Ge against her parents' forced betrothal.
These works advocate for genuine affection and oppose Confucian rituals, reflecting the ideological tastes of the urban populace.