Jiaona

Scholar Kong Xueli, a descendent of the sage, Confucius, was a man of forbearance and well-versed in poetry. His good friend, a magistrate of Tiantai County in Zhejiang Province, wrote to him, inviting him to be his guest.

Xueli went, only to find on arrival that the magistrate had just passed away. Left with no money to feed or clothe himself, or to return home, he was plunged into poverty. Finally, he found shelter in Putuo Monastery, employed by the monks to copy the scriptures.

About one hundred or so steps west of the monastery was the residence of a Mr. Shan. Originally of wealthy background, Mr. Shan had lost a lot of money in a major court case, as a result of which the family fell into dire straits. As fewer people lived in the house, he moved with his family to the countryside, leaving the house empty.

One day, it was snowing heavily and not a soul could be seen in the streets. By chance, Xueli passed by the house. Just then, an elegant-looking youth came out the door. Seeing Xueli, he quickly went up to greet him. After exchanging a few words, he humbly invited Xueli into the house. Xueli took a liking to the youth and followed him in without hesitation.

The room were not spacious. Brocade curtains were hung everywhere. On the walls were many scrolls of ancient calligraphy and painting and on the table lay a book with the words Langhuan Notes written on the label. Xueli leafed through the book and found that the contents were totally new to him. Since the youth lived in the house, Xueli took it for granted that he must be the owner Mr. Shan, and didn’t bother to ask about his family. The youth, for his part, inquired in great detail about Xueli’s experience and felt deep sympathy for him.

He suggested that Xueli start a school and teach, but Xueli sighed and said, “I’m just a wanderer far from home, who would recommend me?” At that, the youth said, “If you don’t mind my ignorance and slow wit, I am willing to be your student.” Overjoyed, Xueli said he couldn’t presume to be the youth’s teacher, but only hoped that they could be friends. Then he asked, “Why is this house always locked?” The youth replied, ‘”This place belongs to Master Shan. It is only because he moved to the countryside that the house has been left empty all this time. My family name is Huangfu. We used to live in Shanxi Province. A wildfire destroyed our house, that’s why we’re temporarily living here.” Only then did Xueli realise that the youth was not Master Shan. That night, the two talked and talked and had a wonderful time. Urged by the youth to stay, Xueli shared the bed with him.

Early next morning, a servant boy came in to light the charcoal fire. The young master got up first and went into the inner room, while Xueli sat on the bed wrapped in a quilt. When the boy announced, “The master’s here,” the surprised Xueli jumped out of bed. Meanwhile, an old man, grey at the temples, walked into the room and thanked Xueli in all earnestness, “You have been so kind to agree to teach my naughty and slow-witted son. He is still a beginner in writing poetry and essays. He is simply scribbling. You mustn’t treat him as one of your peers just because you are friends.” Having said that, the old man ordered a brocade suit, a marten fur hat, a pair of stockings and a pair of shoes to be brought in. When Xueli had washed and put these on, the old man called for wine and food to be brought. Xueli had no idea what materials the table, bed and clothes were made of, but they all looked splendid. After a few rounds of wine, the old man rose from his seat and left with the help of his walking stick.

Breakfast over, the young master handed in his homework. Xueli found that, unlike the “eight-part essay” prevalent at the time (Note: the ”eight-part” essay is a kind of stereotyped writing characterized by rigidity of form and poverty of ideas.), it was all written in the classical style. When he asked why this was so, the youth said smilingly, “I don’t aim high.”

When evening set in, the young master ordered wine and food again, saying to Xueli, “Tonight we’ll drink to our heart’s content, because tomorrow my father will not allow it.” Then he said to the servant boy, “Go and see if the master is asleep. If he is, go quietly to tell Xiangnu to come here.” The boy left and soon returned with a pipa (Note: The pipa is a plucked musical instrument shaped like a half-pear.) enclosed in an embroidered bag. Shortly afterward, a maid servant of incomparable beauty and dressed in bright colors entered. The youth asked for the tune The Lament of Xiangfei. Xiangnu plucked the silk strings with an ivory pick. The tune was extremely moving. It sounded melancholic, yet with a stirring rhythm that was quite unlike any tune he had heard before. The youth then asked Xiangnu to pour wine for them into large cups. They drank until the third watch, then each went to his own room to rest.

The next morning, the youth and Xueli studied together. Being very bright, the youth could recite poems after one reading. Two or three months later, he was able to write remarkable verses. They agreed to drink together once every five days, and each time they drank, they would call on Xiangnu to entertain them. One night, Xueli drank so much that he began to feel a lust for the girl. Noting how Xueli gazed at Xiangnu, the youth guessed what was on his mind and said, “Elder brother, I know it’s hard for you to live all alone, without a family, and so far from home. I have been planning for your marriage day and night for a long time. But this maid serves my aging father. I will find a good mate for you soon.” Xueli replied, “If you really have that good intention, be sure to find someone who is as talented and beautiful as Xiangnu.” At that, the youth laughed and said, “You really haven’t seen much. If you think Xiangnu is the woman of your dreams, then your wish will be more than easy to satisfy.”

Six months later, Xueli wanted to go for a walk out in the countryside, but when he came to the gate, he found it locked from outside, so he went to ask the youth why. The young master said, “My father is afraid that if I go outside and play, it will interfere with my studies. So he locked the door and has refused to let any visitor in.” That put Xueli’s mind at ease.

It was during the height of summer and very humid, so the two made the garden their studio.

Xueli found that there was a growth on his chest, the size of a peach. Overnight, it had grown to the size of a bowl. He moaned and groaned incessantly as the pain was unbearable. The young master visited him every rooming and night. He was so worried that he had no appetite and could not sleep. A few days later, the situation worsened to the point that Xueli could take no food or water.

The old master came to see him too. Father and son sighed. The son said, “It occurred to me last night that only my younger sister Jiaona, can cure my teacher of his illness; I have already sent someone to fetch her from grandmother’s. He’s been gone for some time. I wonder why she hasn’t arrived.”

Before long, the servant boy came in to report, “Miss Na has arrived. So have your aunt and Miss Song.” The father and son rushed into the inner courtyard. A few minutes later, the young master brought Jiaona in to see Xueli. Jiaona was about thirteen or fourteen years of age. Her tender eyes revealed intelligence, and her slender waist made her even more attractive. When Xueli saw her lovely face, he at once forgot his pains and felt his spirit lifted. The young master said to Jiaona, “This gentleman is my good friend, he’s closer to me than a blood brother. Please do your best to heal him.”

No longer bashful, Jiaona waved her long, flowing sleeves and walked over to take Xueli’s pulse. As she did so, Xueli could smell the fragrance from her body, so like that of the orchid in spring. Then Jiaona smiled and said, “No wonder you are ill; it’s because your heartbeat has changed. Although it’s a serious illness, it can be cured. Only the dead muscle and skin have hardened so that they will have to be removed by surgery.” So saying, she removed a golden bracelet from her arm and placed it around the growth, slowly pressing it down. The growth swelled up to more than an inch above the bracelet while the red, swollen part around the growth diminished in size, until it shrank inside the frame of the bracelet. With her other hand, Jiaona lifted her jacket and untied a knife the edge of which was thinner than paper. Then, holding the bracelet in place, she began to gently cut off the growth from its base. Dark-red blood flowed from the wound, soiling the mat on the bed. Xueli was so eager to stay close to the beauty, he not only felt no pain, but was afraid the surgery would be finished too soon and Jiaona would not be able to remain at his side for long. Soon, the growth was removed. It looked just like one cut off from the trunk of a tree. Jiaona then asked for water with which she washed Xueli’s wound. She spat from her mouth a red ball, the size of those children play with, and pressed it against the wound, turning it round and round. After the first turn, Xueli felt steaming heat on his chest; after the second, it started to itch; and after the third, he felt a coolness that spread through his whole body and into his bones and marrow. Jiaona withdrew the ball and put it hack into her mouth and said, “You’re cured!” and started to walk toward the door. Xueli jumped up and ran over to thank her.

The illness was gone. But whenever he thought of Jiaona’s dazzling beauty, he could not help feeling sad and lonely. From that day on, he stopped reading and just sat there idly all day long, disinterested in anything.

This came to the attention of the young master, who said to Xueli, “I have been looking around, Elder Brother, and have found for you an excellent wife.” “Who is it?” asked Xueli. “She’s also a relative of mine,” came the answer, whereupon Xueli thought for a while and
then said simply, “Don’t bother.” He turned around to face the wall and recited two lines from a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen: “No water’s wide enough when you have crossed the sea; no cloud is beautiful but that which crowns the peak.”

The youth understood what he meant and said to him, “My father, highly respectful of your accomplishments, has long wished to be your in-law. But I have only one little sister at home, and she is too young. I have a cousin named Song. She’s eighteen and is not bad-looking. If you don’t believe me, just wait in the outer room and you’ll see her because she comes to
the garden every day.”

Xueli did as was suggested. Sure enough, he saw Jiaona coming, accompanying a pretty girl with painted curved eyebrows and a pair of dainty feet in shoes decorated with the phoenix. In beauty, she was in no way inferior to Jiaona. Delighted, Xueli asked the young master to be the go-between.

The next day, the latter came out from the inner courtyard and congratulated Xueli, saying, “It’s all set!” He then had another courtyard readied for Xueli’s wedding ceremony. That evening, drums and music filled the air. So loud was the noise that the dust on the beams of the house was shaken off. Now that the angel of his dreams was sleeping by his side, Xueli wondered if the moon palace, where the goddess Chang’e resided, wasn’t really on earth. He felt quite content after the marriage.

One evening, the young master said to Xueli, “You have helped me so much scholastically. I shall never forget what I owe you. Master Shan has come back, now that the court case is over. He is eager to get this residence back. So we plan to leave for our hometown in Shanxi. I’m afraid it will be difficult for us to meet again, which makes me very sad.” Xueli expressed his willingness to go with them, but the young master advised him to return to his own hometown in Shandong. Xueli hesitated, but the young master said, “Don’t worry. I’ll see you off.”

Shortly afterwards, the old master came in with Song, and offered Xueli one hundred taels of gold. The young master then held Xueli and his wife’s hands in each of his and told them to shut their eyes.

Xueli felt himself floating up into the air, the wind roaring past his ears. After quite a while, he heard the youth say, “We’re here!” And when he opened his eyes, there was his hometown alright. At last he knew that the young master was not a mortal. Xueli cheerfully knocked on the door of his home. His mother was delighted by his surprise return and found her daughter-in-law most charming. The three were overjoyed at their reunion. When they turned their heads around, the young master had disappeared.

Song served her mother-in-law dutifully. She became known far and wide for her beauty and her virtue and devotion. Later, Xueli passed the highest imperial examination and became a jinshi and was put in charge of all the criminal cases in Yan’an Prefecture in Shanxi Province.

The whole family followed him to his post, all except for his aging mother who thought the distance too far for her to travel. Song gave birth to a boy whom they named Xiaohuan. Before long, however, Xueli was removed from that post for violating the will of the imperial inspector. Although the case was shelved, he could not return to Shandong.

One day, hunting on the outskirts of town, Xueli came upon a handsome young man, riding a black pony, who kept turning around to look at him. He peered hard at him and found it was none other than the young master Huangfu. He reined in his horse and was overwhelmed by a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow. The young master invited him to go home with him. They came to a village where thick foliage blocked out the sun. On entering the house, he noticed that there were rows of golden nails on the door, indicating this was the family of an important clan. Xueli inquired after Sister Jiaona and was told that she had married and her mother-in-law had passed away. The two expressed their deep sympathy for her.

After staying overnight, Xueli went home and brought his wife back to the village. Jiaona joined them. She picked up Xiaohuan and teased her cousin, “Sister, you’ve confused our seeds.” Xueli thanked Jiaona for curing his illness in the past, to which Jiaona replied with a smile, “You’re in a distinguished position now, Brother-in-law. The wounds have healed, but I hope you haven’t forgotten the pain.” Jiaona’s husband Wu came forth to greet them. Xueli and Song stayed for two nights before returning home.

One day, young master Huangfu said to Xueli, anxiety covering his face, “Disaster is coming from Heaven, can you help us?” Xueli had no idea what he was talking about, but he immediately agreed to help.

The young master quickly left the house and called for his whole family to come in and kneel down in the hall. Shocked by their behavior, Xueli pressed for an explanation. The young master said, “We are not of the human race, but rather foxes, and are about to be killed by thunder and lightning. If you will bear the disaster alone, then our whole family can be saved. If you won’t, then take your child and go, so that you will not be affected.” Xueli vowed to live or die with the young master’s family, so the young master told him to stand in the doorway with a sword. “Don’t move, no matter how the thunder and lightning strike at you!” Xueli promised to act as he was told.

After a while, dark clouds gathered overhead, blocking out the sky. It was as though a huge black stone slab was hanging over them. Xueli turned his head and found that the houses they had lived in had disappeared. Only the big mound of an ancient grave stood there; the pit was so deep one couldn’t see its end. Just as he was wondering what this meant, a clap of thunder rocked the mountains and the plains. Then, a hurricane followed, uprooting even the age-old trees. Xueli saw sparks in his eyes on account of the lightning. His ears were deafened by the thunder, but he did not move one inch. All of a sudden, he saw amidst the dark clouds and smoke a demon with pointed mouth and long paws, dragging someone from the hole. It floated right up into the sky on a cloud. From the clothes and shoes of the captured person, Xueli thought it looked like Jiaona. Right away, he leaped into the sky and struck at the demon with his sword. Released from the demon’s grip, Jiaona fell to the ground. There was a loud clap of thunder, and Xueli fell to the ground dead.

After a while, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. Jiaona slowly came to. When she saw Xueli dead by her side, she wept bitterly, crying, “The young master Kong died for me, why am I still alive?” Song came out of the pit and, together with Jiaona, carried Xueli home.

Jiaona asked Song to hold up Xueli’s head and her brother to jack open his teeth with a golden pin while she herself grasped his chin. Then, with her tongue, she rolled the red ball into his mouth and blew air into him. The air drove the red ball down Xueli’s throat, letting out a gurgling sound. Some time later, as if waking up from a sleep, Xueli came back to life. Still dizzy, he looked at all the relatives around him and felt as though he had had a dream. After the first amazement, the whole family rejoiced at the reunion.

As the graveyard was not a place to live for long, Xueli proposed that they all go back to Shandong. Everyone agreed, all except Jiaona who looked downcast. Xueli invited her and her husband to go with them, but Jiaona was afraid her parents-in-law would miss their youngest son. They discussed the matter for a whole day without finding any solution.

Suddenly, a servant boy from the Wu family ran in, puffing and sweating all over. Surprised, everybody asked what was the matter. It turned out that the Wu family had met with the same disaster on the very same day. All the members of the family, young and old, had died tragically. Jiaona cried her heart out. They comforted her and there and then it was decided that everyone would return to Shandong.

After spending a few days in the city, settling various matters, Xueli packed up one night and together they started on the journey.

Back in Shandong, Xueli offered the young master a deserted garden. The garden gate was always locked from outside, except when Xueli and Song called. Xueli often played chess and drank wine with the young master and his sister, thoroughly enjoying themselves like members of one family. When Xiaohuan grew up into a young man, he was very handsome-looking and had the air of a fox-fairy. When he went to the city, it was no secret that he was a fox-fairy’s son.

The Chronicler of the Tales said, “What I admire about the scholar Kong is not that he married a beautiful wife, but that he also had a good friend whose countenance could make him forget his hunger and whose voice could bring him joy and delight. To have a good friend like this to talk to and dine and wine with means an interflow and merging in the spiritual realm. Such friendship surpasses love between husband and wife.