Old Man An of Changshan (a district in present‑day Shandong Province) was fond of farm work by nature. One autumn, when the buckwheat was ripe, he had it cut and piled in heaps along the field ridges. Since there had been thieves stealing crops from nearby villages, he ordered his tenant farmers to transport the grain to the threshing ground by moonlight. After they had loaded the carts and set off, he stayed behind to keep watch himself. So he lay down in the open, with a spear as his pillow.
He had barely closed his eyes when he suddenly heard a crackling sound, as if someone were stepping on buckwheat stalks. Suspecting a robber, he quickly raised his head – and saw a huge demon, over ten feet tall, with dishevelled red hair and a bristling beard, already quite close to him. Terrified beyond measure, he had no time to think; he sprang up and thrust his spear fiercely at it. The demon let out a thunderous roar and fled.
Fearing it might return, An shouldered his spear and went home. He met the tenants on the road, told them what he had seen, and warned them not to go back. But they were not entirely convinced.
The next day, as they were spreading wheat to dry on the threshing ground, they suddenly heard a noise in the air. An cried out in alarm: “The monster is coming!” He ran, and the others ran too. After a while they gathered again, and An ordered them to set up many crossbows and wait. The following day, the monster did indeed return. Several arrows were shot at once, and the creature, frightened, fled. For two or three days it did not come again.
After the wheat was stored in the granary, the remaining stalks and chaff were piled up in a heap. An climbed to the top to trample them down and make the pile compact, until it was several feet high. Suddenly he looked into the distance and cried out in terror: “The monster is here!” The men hurried to fetch their bows and arrows – but the creature had already rushed at An. It knocked him down, bit a piece of flesh from his forehead, and vanished.
They all rushed over and saw that a piece of bone as large as a palm had been torn from his forehead. He was unconscious. They carried him home, but he died shortly after. The monster was never seen again. No one knew what kind of strange being it was.
Note
From Liaozhai, this grim tale depicts old farmer An’s repeated run‑ins with a huge red‑haired demon in his buckwheat field. Though they drive it off with spears and crossbows, the beast fatally bites An, then vanishes without a trace.
Changshan (长山):
An ancient county in Shandong Province, China. It is now part of Zibo City. Many tales in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio are set in Shandong, the home province of the author Pu Songling.
Buckwheat:
The character qiāo (荍) refers to buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), a hardy, fast‑growing grain crop commonly grown in northern China. It was valued as a food staple and also used for animal feed. The harvest season in autumn was a busy time for farmers.
Tenant farmers:
These were peasants who worked the land for a landowner, often paying rent in grain or labour. In this story, they help with the harvest and transport.
Spear:
A traditional Chinese polearm with a pointed blade, used both in warfare and for hunting. Here it serves as the farmer’s weapon of defence against intruders – both human and supernatural.
Threshing ground:
An open, flat area where harvested grain is spread out to dry and then threshed (beaten) to separate the edible part from the husks. It was the centre of farm activity during harvest time.
Crossbows:
The nǔ (弩) is a Chinese repeating crossbow that could shoot several bolts at once, or a powerful single‑shot crossbow. It was a common hunting and defensive weapon in rural areas.
Monster or demon:
The creature is described as a giant, with red dishevelled hair and a beard – features typical of certain malevolent spirits in Chinese folklore, such as chī (魑) or mountain demons. Its appearance and behaviour suggest it is a predatory, flesh‑eating entity, possibly a type of jiangshi (stiff corpse) or an unclassifiable monster.
The bite and death:
The monster’s attack – biting off a piece of the skull – is unusually brutal and direct. Unlike many ghosts that cause harm through possession or suffocation, this one acts with raw physical violence. The story ends without explanation, leaving the nature of the creature ambiguous, which heightens the sense of mystery and dread.
Thematic note:
This tale reflects the harsh realities of rural life – constant vigilance against thieves, the exhaustion of harvest work, and the ever‑present fear of the unknown. It also belongs to a sub‑genre of Chinese supernatural fiction where ordinary people confront monstrous beings without the intervention of priests or exorcists, relying instead on their own courage and simple weapons.
Leave a Reply