Yatou

Wang Wen, a scholar from Dong Chang, was young and honest. Once he visited a region under the rule of the State of Chu as a tourist. After he crossed the river and checked into a hotel, he went out for a stroll.

He met Zhao Donglou, a merchant from his hometown. Since he was a businessman, Zhao Donglou often stayed away from home for several years at a time. Zhao was extremely happy to have run into Wang Wen and invited Wang to his home. When they reached Zhao’s rooms, Wang Wen was surprised to find a beautiful lady sitting in the room. He refused to enter the room and wanted to pull out but was grabbed by Zhao who said: “You woman, find yourself another place!” After that Wang Wen entered the house.

Zhao had food and drink served and they began to chat over dinner. Wang asked: “What kind of place is this?” Zhao told him:”This is a small whorehouse. Since I cannot go home very often, I stay here temporarily.” As they talked, the lady came in and out and Wang became nervous. He stood up and wanted to leave. Once again, Zhao grabbed him by the arm and pushed him back to his seat. Soon another young lady entered and looked at Wang with watery eyes, which sent him signals of love. Her beautiful features and expression made her seem an angel. Though Wang had always been an honest and disciplined person, at this very moment, he found himself gripped by a restless feeling. He asked Zhao:”Who is the beautiful girl?” Zhao replied:”Oh, she is called Yatou, the second daughter of the house’s madam. She is
fourteen years old. Many men who have been here were willing to pay more than the usual price to sleep with her, but she has always refused. In fact, her mother even beat her once for refusing a phenomenal sum. The girl reasoned with her mother, saying: ‘I’m still too young.’ Finally the mother agreed with her and let her go free. She is still waiting to find a man and get married.”

Wang heard all this and fell silent. When he spoke in response to Zhao’s questions, his answers made no sense. Zhao joked with him:”If you like her, I’ll be the match-maker. Wang said sadly: “I really do not dare to have such an idea.”

He, however, never mentioned leaving the place, even when it was dark. When Zhao teased him again about being a match-maker, Wang said: “I’m grateful to you for your kindness, but I have very little money. What should I do?” Zhao knew that Yatou was strong-minded and somewhat arrogant and therefore would never agree to marry Wang. That was why Zhao pretended that he would help Wang out with ten taels of silver. Wang thanked him, hurried back to the hotel and took all his money — five taels in all — to Zhao, asking the latter to present the fifteen taels to the girl’s mother.

As predicted, the old lady refused on the grounds that the money was far from being enough for her daughter, but Yatou said to her mother: “You scold me for never making any money. I’ll do it for you today. It’s going to be my first day. In the future, I will make you a lot of money. Oh, mother, don’t let this man leave because he cannot pay more immediately.” Knowing her daughter was strong-willed, the old lady was happy to let her daughter take the man that night since she was going to make money for her. The old lady told a maid to bring in Wang Wen. Zhao could not bring himself to eat his words and had to pay the ten taels he had promised.

Yatou and Wang Wen enjoyed each other a great deal. When it was over, she said to Wang: “I’m a lowly prostitute and not good enough to be your wife. Still you like me and this feeling is most important. You’ve spent all your money for just one night, but what are you going to do tomorrow?” Tears came down Wang’s face and he was too grieved to say anything. Yatou said to him: “Don’t feel sad. I really don’t want to be a prostitute, but so far I have not met any man like you with whom I can trust the rest of my life. Let’s get away from here when it is still dark.”

Wang’s spirits were lifted and he began to dress. Yatou also dressed. Just then they heard a town crier announcing it was three o’clock. Yatou put on men’s clothes and they stealthily went back to the hotel. Wang told his servant that there was something urgent he must do and they had to leave right away. Wang had brought two donkeys on his trip and now Yatou tied evil-expelling magic figure drawings on the servant’s legs and donkeys’ ears. She let loose the reins and the donkeys galloped. Wang sat on a donkey and found it hard to open his eyes. All he heard was the whistling of the wind.

By daybreak, they arrived at Hankou, where they rented a house as their home. Wang was surprised by and curious about Yatou’s magic skills. Yatou said to him: “If I tell you the truth, you won’t be scared to death, will you? I’m not a human being, but a fox spirit. My mother is very greedy and I had to suffer day and night. For a long time I have been filled with indignation and sadness, but now I’m out of that bitter life. Now that I’m hundreds of miles away from my mother, she won’t be able to know my whereabouts. I’m safe now.” Wang was not at all troubled by this knowledge and said slowly: “What I have now is a beauty in a poor home. I cannot feel any happiness since I’m so poor. I’m afraid eventually you will leave me.”

The girl said: “Don’t have such ideas. If we buy things and resell them, we can start our business. Besides, it won’t cost us much for everyday expenses since our family is small. We can sell the donkeys and use the money to start a business.” Wang did as Yatou said and opened up a little restaurant. Yatou made purses and scarves and sold them. With the money they both made, they lived a decent life and there was some surplus after deducting the daily expenditures. A year later, they could afford to hire maids. Wang took off his apron and simply supervised the cooking and serving.

One day, Yatou was in a gloomy mood as she said:”There will be a disaster tonight. What’s to be done?” Wang asked her what it was and she said: “My mother has found out where I am and I’m going to suffer for it. I’m not afraid if she sends my sister over, but if she comes herself, I’m in real trouble.” Before daybreak, Yatou said with relief: “Don’t worry my sister is coming.” Soon, Nizi, the lady Wang first saw at Zhao’s place, came in. Yatou greeted her with a big smile, but the sister scolded her, saying: “Shame on you for running away with a man! Mother has asked me to bind you up and take you home.” So saying, she produced a rope and tied it around Yatou’s neck. Yatou was enraged and said: “What’s wrong about living with a man?”

The sister was even more angry and pulled at Yatou’s clothes, ripping part of them off her body. House maids rushed over and the sister became afraid. She fled. Yatou said: “Once my sister gets home, mother will surely come herself. We must think of a way to avoid the disaster.” She began to pack her things in preparation to move to a place far away. Suddenly, the old lady appeared in the room. She said angrily: “I knew a long time ago you would not obey what I said, so I came myself.” Yatou went up to her and knelt down, begging her to let her go. The old lady said nothing, grabbed at Yatou’s hair and pulled her to go.

There was nothing Wang Wen could do. Deeply saddened,he could not eat or sleep. He hurried to Liu with the hope of buying Yatou back. When he arrived, the house was still what it had been, but the people were different. He asked the neighbors but no one knew where the old lady and her family had moved to. Even more saddened, Wang returned to Hankou where he sent away the staff, sold the restaurant and went back to his hometown in the east.

Several years later, Wang happened to be in Yanjing. When he walked past an orphanage, he saw a boy about seven years old. Wang’s servant found the boy resembled his master and stared at him. Wang asked: “Why do you stare at the boy?” The servant smiled and told Wang what was on his mind. Wang also smiled. They examined the boy closely and found him well-behaved. Since Wang had no son and the boy looked rather like him, he found he liked the boy very much and bought him from the orphanage. Wang Wen asked the boy what his name was and was told “Wang Zi”. Wang Wen said: “You were abandoned when you were a little baby, how do you know your name?” The boy said:”My teacher said that when he found me, across my chest was written these words: Son of Wang Wen from Shandong.” Wang Wen was over-joyed to hear this, saying: “I’m Wang Wen, but how could I have a son?” He realized there must be someone with the same name as his also from Shandong. Nevertheless, he liked the boy all the more. When he went home with the boy, whoever saw them said they were just like father and son.

Wang Zi grew up to be a young man of great strength. He loved hunting and was not interested in production. He was also rather militant and aggressive. He also claimed that he could see ghosts, but no one believed him on that score. Just then, a man in the village was confused by a fox spirit and his family asked Wang Zi to go and help. Wang pointed out the place where the fox spirit was hiding and told people to beat the place. Soon they heard the screaming of a fox and blood splashed. After that, peace returned to the family. Now people were convinced that Wang Zi was a man of unusual strength and skills.

One day, Wang Wen was visiting a market when he accidentally ran into Zhao Donglou, who was in rags, thin and dark. Wang asked Zhao what had happened. But Zhao said they should leave the market before they talked. Wang took him home and entertained him with food and wine. Zhao said: “After the old lady brought Yatou back, she beat her and tortured her. They moved north, where the old lady tried to make Yatou forget you. Yatou said she would die rather than live with another man. So she was locked away. When she gave birth to a boy, they left the baby in the street. I heard he ended up in an orphanage and guessed he must be a grown man by now. The boy was your flesh and blood!” Wang Wen told him with tears: “Thank God, my son now lives with me.” He told Zhao the whole story and then asked Zhao: “How did you fall into this kind of situation?” Zhao sighed and said: “I’ve only realized now that you cannot find true love with a prostitute.”

What had happened was when the old lady took her family to the north, Zhao followed them. His goods and belongings were too heavy so he had to sell them at a low price. On the way, the old lady squandered money on food and other things at Zhao’s expense. Nizi, the sister, was so greedy that Zhao could never meet her demands. Several years later, all of Zhao’s fortune was spent. The old lady now changed her attitude toward Zhao, and Nizi more and more frequently spent her nights in the arms of rich men. Though angry, Zhao found there was little he could do to change the situation. One day, the old lady went out and Yatou called Zhao from her prison window, telling him: “There is never real love in a whorehouse. Nizi stayed with you simply because she wanted your money. If you go on staying here, you will be in big trouble.” These words made Zhao feel as if he had just awakened from a dream. Before he left, he went to see Yatou, who gave him a letter to pass on to Wang Wen. That was why Zhao had come back to his hometown.

Zhao showed Yatou’s letter to Wang Wen. She wrote in the letter:”I know our son Wang Zi is now with you. Zhao Donglou will brief you on what I have gone through. I’m suffering for what I did in my previous life. All day long, I’m locked away in a dark room without any light. Beatings make me ache all over. Hunger is also very difficult to endure. Everyday passes like a year. If you have not forgotten our life together in Hankou when we shared the same quilt, trying to warm each other with our bodies, you should discuss with our son how to get me out of my sufferings. Though my mother and sister are very cruel, they are my family. Tell our son it is my only wish that he will not harm them.” Tears streamed down Wang’s face as he read the letter. Then he gave Zhao some silver and silk.

Wang Zi was now eighteen years old. His father told him the entire story about the family and showed him the letter from his mother. Wang Zi was so enraged that his eye balls seemed to want to jump out. On the very day, he went to the capital and found the home of old lady Wu. He found carts carrying people coming and going from the whorehouse and rushed inside. Nizi was drinking with a whoremaster from Huzhou. When she saw Wang Zi, she was so frightened that her face went pale. Wang moved forward with his sword and killed her instantly. The whoremasters thought the place was being robbed and did not know what to do. They took a look at Nizi’s body and found it had changed into a fox. Wang charged to the inner room and found the old lady urging maids to make soup.

Wang moved forward but the old lady suddenly disappeared. He searched the house and quickly released an arrow toward the beam from where a fox, killed by the arrow, fell onto the ground. Wang cut off her head. He found the place where his mother was locked up, broke the lock and mother and son collapsed in each other’s arms, crying loudly. His mother asked him where his granny was and Wang Zi said: “She’s been killed.” His mother reprimanded him, saying:”Why didn’t you listen to me?” She then told Wang Zi to take the foxes and bury them in the fields. Wang agreed in front of his mother but he casually skinned the foxes and hid the fur. He searched the house, collected all the money and escorted his mother to their home.

When Wang Wen and Yatou were finally reunited, they were so overwhelmed that words failed them. Later, when Wang Wen asked about the old lady, Wang Zi said: “She’s in my bag,” and took out two fox furs. His mother was now really angered, scolding him:”You heartless bastard! How could you do this!” She cried violently, beating her chest with her two fists. She wanted to commit suicide. Wang Wen tried to calm her down and meanwhile told his son to bury the fox hides. Wang Zi said to her mother: “You’ve just got your freedom and you’ve already forgotten your past sufferings!” This only made his mother more enraged. Only when he returned from burying the fox hides, did his mother gradually calm down.

The family became even better off after Yatou returned. Grateful to Zhao Donglou, Wang Wen presented him with a great deal of money. Only then did Zhao realize that the old lady was also a fox spirit.

Wang Zi was a filial son to his parents, but if he was ever angered, he would fly into a terrible rage. Yatou said to Wang Wen: “There is a sinew troubling our son. Unless it is pulled out, he will end up killing people and ruining the family.” That night, after Wang Zi had fallen to sleep, Yatou tied him up. Wang Zi woke up and said:”I’ve done nothing wrong, Mother.” His mother told him: “I’m going to cure you of your brutality. Don’t be afraid.” Wang Zi cried, tossed and turned but could not break loose from the rope binding him. Yatou stabbed him next to the anklebone until the needle was about an inch deep. Then a “boon” sound was heard. She then did the same on his elbow and head. Finally, she untied him and helped him to sleep. The next day, when Wang Zi woke up, he came to say good morning to his parents. With tears he said: “I thought about what I did during the night and realized those were inhuman acts.” The parents were very happy to hear this. After that, Wang Zi became a gentle person whose behavior was admired by all who knew him.