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Zhou Xiao asked: “Did the gentlemen of ancient times take office?”
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“The Treasury Official” is a concise yet profound short story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai (Liaozhai Zhiyi). Through the mysterious figure of a “Treasury Official of the Netherworld,” it showcases Pu Songling’s philosophical reflections on fate, wealth, and the vicissitudes of life.
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“The Willow Scholar” is a symbolic short story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai. Blending myth, fable, and social concern, it explores the relationship between humans, nature, and spirits through the resolution of a locust plague.
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Once I saw a man travelling on foot at Lvliang. He saw a boat, and offered the boat-owner fifty coins to take him to Pengmen.
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The Zhen bird (a mythical poisonous bird)) met a venomous snake on the road and advanced to peck at it.