Wine Tea Strange Tales

Author: (Qing) Li Qingchen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-11-01
Features: Wang Jianping, a scion of a noble family in Jin. He moved to Tianjin from his ancestral home and lost his parents at a young age. At the age of eighteen, he became a business partner with a local hardware merchant. After the shop expanded to five large rooms, Wang lived alone in the back room. At night, he would lock the door and drink wine alone. Suddenly, the curtain parted, and a woman appeared from outside. She wore white and black robes, her face devoid of makeup, her hair like mist, and her cheeks like flowers, exuding a delicate and elegant charm. Wang recognized her as a fox spirit and his hair stood on end. He said, "I have no disrespect toward you, why do you disturb me?" This was because the merchant revered the spirits, and he often paid his respects with great devotion, so he said so. The woman asked, "Who has seen you pay respects to me?" Wang replied, "I offer incense in the morning and pay homage in the evening—how is that not paying respects?" The woman said, "Silly fellow! I have never seen anyone pay respects to a woman." Wang said, "I have not yet married, so how can you accuse me of paying respects to a woman?" The woman said, "Fool! Fool! Why have you not married?" Wang said, "My family is impoverished, who would marry me?" The woman said, "I will be your matchmaker and choose a good wife for you. Will you?" Wang said, "Yes." The woman said, "She has a mottled face, rabbit-like lips, and one blind eye. If you are satisfied with her, she will be your lifelong companion." Wang said, "No! No! She must be as beautiful as your sister." The woman said, "As the saying goes, 'A leper frog wants to eat a swan,' how difficult is that?" Wang said, "I dare not dream of such things. As the saying goes, 'A wild old man eats locusts, and his mouth is blessed.' You do not need to worry about my matchmaking." The woman laughed and said, "You are not a scholar, why do you speak so formally? Have you forgotten 'zihuyes' since living in the market?" She revealed, "I have a past connection with you, so I came to enjoy your company. You should keep it a secret, and I will not bring you any harm." With that, she left. She then brought a small bamboo basket containing four dishes. She also took out a crystal pot, jade cups, and ivory chopsticks, all of exquisite quality. She poured wine for Wang, who looked hesitant. The woman took the cup and said, "Is this poison?" She drank half of it and then encouraged Wang to drink. Wang tasted it and found it fragrant and refreshing—truly fine wine. They drank heartily. When they finished, the cups and dishes vanished, and there was no one to remove them. They then extinguished the candles and slept together, enjoying great pleasure. When dawn came, she left without anyone knowing. This went on for two or three years, and their love was deep. She once told Wang, "Your fortune is too meager, but your food and clothing are sufficient. When you work, think of food, and you can take it from the pot; when you need clothes, you can take them from the chest." He tried it and found it worked. One night, she brought exotic delicacies—such as camel hump, bear paw, and leopard cub—too luxurious to name. Wang said, "You disturb me every day, why bring such lavish food?" The woman said nothing but encouraged him to eat, while she sat with a light behind her, not eating. Wang saw her with a sorrowful expression, tears streaming down her face, as if she wanted to speak but held back. Wang asked her repeatedly why, and she said, "Our time is up! This is our farewell banquet." Wang was heartbroken. She wiped her tears and said, "The yellow crane has left, but there will be a reunion in the future. We will meet in Suzhou, and I will help you out of trouble. Remember this!" Soon, the slanting moon was about to set, and wild geese were calling. She took Wang's hand to the room and said, "If you stay for a few more days, we won't meet again! Take care, I must go." Like lightning, she vanished. Wang fell ill from and took half a year to recover. Later, he married a woman who had a cleft lip and one blind eye, just as the woman had said. The spirit could foresee the future—how true!
The story of Zui Cha Zi: Jianping was my friend Zhao Jia's brother-in-law. I met him through the Zhao family. He was honest and devout. Jia told me about his story. I am curious, so I asked Wang. Wang said, "Are you the one known as 'Zui Cha Zi'?" I replied, "Yes." Wang said, "If so, you may speak." I asked why, and he said, "The spirit once told me, 'In the future, there will be a Li who writes books about these events. Ask him to write a good biography for you. Do not tell anyone else.'" So, he told me the whole story, his voice filled with emotion. I regret that my writing is clumsy and may not live up to your expectations. But since there is something worth recording, how can I not do it? In the Tongzhi era, Jianping went to Suzhou to buy jasmine. He encountered bandits but miraculously survived. When he returned home, he soon fell ill and died. I wonder if he met the spirit again. I regret not being able to investigate further. Thus, I know that among the many legends of the past and present, there are many true stories, and we should not dismiss them as mere fictions.
The story of Shen Zhongquan: Shen Zhongquan was a scholar from Yan. He failed the exams repeatedly and was in dire straits. He had a cousin who was a military advisor in the frontier. He went to seek his help but found that the official had been transferred, and his cousin followed. Shen was deeply disappointed and thought of going again, but he had no money. He had no choice but to find a fellow townsman who dug ginseng to stay with. The townspeople, numbering four or five, were all poor and could not even feed themselves. They gave Shen a long hoe and had him work with them. Shen could not bear the hardship, and the others grew to resent him but did not dare to refuse. One day, they went into the mountains. Shen walked slowly and rested under a pine tree. After a while, they left, and he went looking for them. He came to a place where the mountains and rivers were winding, and the path was extremely. He lost his way. As the sun set, the wind howled, and he thought of finding a cave to hide from tigers and wolves. As he hesitated, he saw a beautiful woman with a white deer skin skirt, drinking water by a stream. He approached her, took off his gourd from his waist, and gave it to her. She drank and returned the gourd. He asked for directions, and she said, "There are not many people living in this mountain. The dense peaks ahead are where I live. There is no fresh water there, so I must come here to drink. But it is a long way from the main road. Why did you come here?" He explained his situation and asked for shelter. She did not respond but turned to leave. He pleaded with her until she cried, and then she took him. They climbed over a hill and crossed a small bridge. Below the bridge, reeds grew wild, and the sounds of frogs and earthworms were extremely sad. After a few more miles, they came to a large stone bridge, its length indeterminate, with carved stone railings, as if it were natural. At the end of the bridge was a village, facing south with a stone gate. Inside was a stone room, clean and spacious, stretching far. She led him to a room and said, "You can stay here for now, and I will prepare food for you." She left. He looked around and saw that the bed and furniture were all made of stone, and the stone patterns on the walls were like paintings, with flowers, trees, and figures that seemed lifelike. As he admired the room, a gust of wind blew outside, and a tiger rushed past. He trembled and did not dare to move, hiding under a stone bed. Soon, she returned and gave him something like a child's arm, red and soft. She said, "Eat a little of this, and you will be full. Take it home, and you can become rich." She left, and he ate it. It was sweet and satisfying. He saved half of it and hid it in his bosom. When dawn came, she showed him the way back. He climbed over mountains and vines and finally reached the outside. Looking back, he saw the towering mountains and deep valleys, with no way to ascend. He was amazed and returned. He showed the object to his companions, and it turned out to be fine ginseng. He sold it for one hundred taels of silver and returned home.
The story of Shao Yuqing: On the first day of the New Year, Shao Yuqing dreamed of someone leading a horse that looked like a mule, with one horn on its head, urging him to ride. He arrived at a place that looked like an office, and he saw a bulletin board. His name was listed third, and his hometown matched. Below each name was a comment, most of which he did not remember, but he noted that his name had "Filial piety and fraternal duty are commendable" written next to it. On the wall was a plaque that read, "On the eighth day of the second month, there will be a fire in Xiaozhi." After seeing this, the person urged him to return. When he reached his door, he woke up startled. He wrote it down on a note. On the specified day, Xiaozhi was indeed destroyed, just as he had dreamed. Soon after, he passed the imperial examination and was ranked among the top three.
The story of the snake-slayer: The military officer Zhao once killed a venomous snake. He saw it and killed it, and the people called him "The Snake Slayer." One day, while out in the wild, he saw a large snake with a diameter of his hand. He struck it with his blade, but it struggled fiercely. He then severed its head. When he returned to the camp, he felt dizzy and unwell, so he rode back home. That night, he lay down and felt something like ice across his abdomen, resembling a snake. He quickly called his mother for a light, and they saw a headless snake coiling on the bed, its blood still wet. His mother screamed, and the creature suddenly vanished. Zhao sighed and said, "I won't live much longer!" He recounted what he had done. His mother urgently called for a shaman to pray and atone for his sins. The shaman spoke in the snake's voice, saying, "I will take your life in return for killing me. Who will spare your food and drink?" Soon after, Zhao died.
The story of Zui Cha Zi: Snakes may be venomous, but if they do not harm people, there is no need to kill them. Yet, such ignorant creatures can seek revenge. One can see that if a child cries at night or a green dresser beats medicine, if one is not a special person, how can they avoid disaster?
The story of a ghost: A certain man was traveling to the capital. At night, he stayed at a guesthouse in Yangcun. The host led him to the backyard, where a coffin was placed by the window—the host's son's newly buried wife. The man was frightened and asked to move to another place. The guesthouse was full, so he had no choice but to stay there. As soon as he lay down, he dreamed of a young woman in her twenties, composed and dignified, dressed neatly, bowing to him. She said, "I am the one in the coffin. My fate was to die, but the Yama released me. Please tell my father to open the coffin and free me, or I cannot live." He woke up startled. A moment later, he dreamed the same thing again. He was puzzled and called the host, telling him what happened. They opened the coffin, and the woman revived. The guest saw that she was exactly as he had dreamed. He asked her why she sought help from the guesthouse and what she saw in the underworld, but she could not explain. It is known that when a person is meant to live, the spirits protect them, and it does not necessarily mean their soul is conscious.
The story of the ghost market: After the 1880 provincial examination, I traveled with a few friends to Tongzhou and took a boat home. There was already a guest in the cabin, lying on his luggage. He greeted us respectfully. When we asked for his name and hometown, he said he was from Cangzhou and had a humble manner and a cheerful demeanor. He said, "I have been in the army for many years and was promoted to a commandant for my merits. I have come to the capital for official business and will soon get a permanent position." He took out three coins and offered to tell our fortunes. The friends gathered to ask about their futures, and he answered them with ease, greatly pleasing them. I have always disliked fortune-telling, but I love strange tales. As we talked, we discussed ghosts. He said, "I have never heard of ghosts tormenting people after the death of the Yan army. However, I once witnessed something very strange. When I was stationed in Jingchu, we camped halfway up a mountain. Looking down, the plains stretched for thousands of miles. The villages nearby had been destroyed by war, leaving no people. One night, I walked with a few men on the mountain peak under the moon. About half a mile below, we saw a large estate with trees and houses clearly visible. We heard barking dogs, crowing chickens, and the sound of clappers, as if it were a world. We were amazed for a long time. One man said, 'This is where the is concentrated—it must be a ghost market. Let's shout at it, and it will disappear.' So, we shouted from the mountain peak, 'The enemy is coming!' The clapper sounds stopped abruptly. We saw dark clouds gathering, the moon cold and clear, and the pavilions and towers vanished. Only faint cries of suffering and rolling phosphorescence were visible among the ruins."
The story of Tang Hai: There was a man named Tang Hai who caught locusts in the southern suburbs. The grain and millet were lush, their green dyeing the eyes, and the western sky was a setting sun, about to fall. Suddenly, he saw a huge mansion among the greenery, with nails and, grand and magnificent. As he wandered, an old-fashioned man led him. The room was filled with pearls, silk, and luxurious furnishings. A woman in her forties, also in ancient attire, looked noble. She asked, "Are you Tang? You have a large sum of money. I will give it all to you." She ordered two maids to carry lanterns and show him the vault. There were piles of white coins as high as mountains. The guards, all in golden armor and holding swords, stood in two rows. When Tang arrived, they showed great respect. He lingered for a long time, and a Taoist with a fly whisk encouraged him to leave quickly. He took three ingots and hid them in his bosom. When he came out, the east was already bright. He weighed the ingots on a scale and found them to be about one hundred and fifty taels. He changed clothes and took a carriage to return, but he could not find the place again. He sighed and returned, becoming mad. He would often talk about his hidden treasure to others. People laughed at his madness, not knowing that he had actually encountered something.
The story of Chen the old man: Chen the old man from Zunhua was honest, simple, and good at drinking. One night, as he returned home, about three miles from the village, the moon was as bright as daylight. He met a group of people drinking under a large tree. They invited him to join them. The food was exquisite, with flavors that surpassed land and water. After drinking heavily, he left and suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea. The next day, he went to the spot and found only a few broken pottery jars filled with horse dung. It was likely that the fox or ghost had transformed.
The story of Zui Cha Zi: Illusions deceive people, and how clever are foxes and ghosts! But what about those who share a meal with them? Do they also deceive themselves? Strange indeed!
The story of Mu the demon: Liu, a widow from Yangcun, was in her forties. She was virtuous and quiet, never leaving her house all year. In her courtyard, there was an old tree that had rotted and decayed. During the summer, she would sit on it to cool off and feel a strange sensation as if someone were talking to her. Soon after, she became pregnant. When she was about to give birth, she cried to her son, "I have always been chaste, but I did not expect this ugly creature! You must invite relatives to witness the birth. Let everyone see this monster to prove my innocence." Her son did as she instructed. When the time came, she gave birth to a son who was fat and white. Everyone laughed in secret, and she was filled with shame and anger. When she cut him open, she found a piece of wood inside, curved to the spine. When she examined his limbs, the joints were like rotten wood—likely, he had been affected by the spirit of the tree. The suspicion was finally dispelled. Then, one can understand why the Chu maiden gave birth to iron.
The story of the beggar's son: The beggar had a son of about ten years old. A hand grew near his shoulder, covered with ragged clothes. Someone who examined it asked for a coin. I looked at it, and the fingers were complete with claws, but they were soft and could not bend. It was like a tumor. This is what the Grand Secretary Ji Wen called "being born from the mixed Qi of heaven and earth." A cow has five feet, and a goose has two heads—why do you say that this people are no different from ordinary people?