Chapter 3

Poem: To commit crime as a demon, yet meet with a demon again; A fate from former lives, summoned by destiny's chain. Drums and zithers together in harmony they play; Seeking profit and joy, they delight along the way. It is said that Hanwen, together with the escorting guards, set out on the journey toward Suzhou Prefecture. Along the road, when hungry they ate, when thirsty they drank; they rested at night and traveled by day. After no more than a certain number of days, they arrived at Suzhou. The escorting guards submitted the official documents to Wu County. The county magistrate received the documents and sent Hanwen to be detained at Xujiang Post Station. He then issued a dispatch receipt and sent the guards back to Zhejiang—of this no more need be said. When Hanwen arrived at the post station, he paid his respects to the station master and rested for one night. The next morning, he rose early and weighed out one tael of silver, which he presented to the station master as tea-gift. The station master, having received this token of goodwill, was pleased in his heart and thus did not place him under strict restraint. Hanwen then took out the letter from Elder Wang and went out to inquire his way to the medicine shop of Elder Wu on Wu Family Lane. He presented the letter, which was passed in. The elder opened and read it, then invited Hanwen inside. They seated themselves as host and guest. The elder spoke, saying: "Immortal Officer, since my righteous younger brother Fengshan has sent a letter instructing this old man to look after you, I shall naturally act according to the words written in it." Hanwen rose and expressed his thanks. The elder detained him for a meal, and Hanwen dared not decline. During the meal, the elder inquired in detail into the beginning and end of the matter, and Hanwen recounted everything fully. The elder could not help but sigh deeply. When the meal was over, the elder went inside and took out ten taels of white silver. Together with Hanwen, he came to the post station and paid his respects to the station master. The elder said: "To be frank with you, honored officer, this Officer Xu is a relative of this old man. I pity him for being young and yet convicted of a crime, and I beg you to strike his name from the rolls so that I may take him back into my custody. This small token is a humble offering, and I hope you will kindly accept it." Having said this, he drew the silver from his sleeve and handed it to the station master. The station master took it, was deeply pleased in his heart, and hurriedly nodded in agreement. The elder wrote out a guarantor's bond and handed it to the station master, then took Hanwen back with him. From this time onward, Hanwen took up residence at the elder's medicine shop and once again applied himself to learning the art of pharmacy—of this no more need be said. Now to return to the two demons. On that day, they had used their arts to evade capture, and it was only after the officers had left that they returned to the garden. Bai Shi spoke, calling out: "Xiaoqing, we pledged our marriage with Officer Xu, but because I pitied his poverty, I was careless and gave him the treasury silver, causing him to suffer a lawsuit. Now he has been sentenced to exile in Gusu, with heaven in the south and earth in the north—how can our lifelong matter not be abandoned?" Xiaoqing said: "Lady, why need you be so concerned? Now that Officer Xu has been sent to Gusu, we can go elsewhere—surely there is no lack of handsome young gentlemen elsewhere." Bai Shi said: "Xiaoqing, you do not understand. It is not that there are no handsome young gentlemen elsewhere. First, I have not yet repaid his great kindness to me; second, having already pledged myself to him, how could I consider another? Moreover, his suffering in a distant land was also caused by us. I now intend to go with you to seek him. You may go first to make inquiries and see where Officer Xu is now in Suzhou, then return and report to me." Xiaoqing accepted the order and at once rode the clouds to Gusu. After making inquiries and learning the facts, she turned her cloud around and in no time at all arrived back at the garden. She called out: "Lady, congratulations! Your maidservant was ordered to go to Gusu to inquire about Officer Xu's whereabouts. He is now at the medicine shop of Elder Wu Renjie on Wu Family Lane within the Yan Gate, managing various accounts. Now if we go together to seek him, would that not be splendid?" When Bai Shi heard this, she was greatly delighted. The two demons immediately mounted their demon clouds, and in the space of no more than a few moments, they had already arrived at Gusu. They descended from the clouds in a secluded spot, and the two women came to Wu Family Lane, where they saw Hanwen sitting in the shop. Xiaoqing stepped forward and called out: "Officer Xu." Hanwen raised his head and looked, and when he saw that it was Bai Shi and Xiaoqing, his heart was filled with both shock and anger. He cursed: "Demons! In my former life I had no grievance with you, and in this life I have no enmity—yet you caused me to be tortured in the yamen and sentenced to come here. Now you two have come again to this place to seek me—what do you want?" The two demons, being cursed, flushed red in the face. Bai Shi spoke, calling out: "Officer, it was only because I once mistakenly pledged myself to you, and in righteousness there can be no change. Remembering the affection of husband and wife, I have traveled a thousand li and passed through many hardships to come here. Who would have thought that Officer, being heartless, would instead scold your humble servant. If I were a demon, would there not be handsome young men everywhere under heaven? Why should I have gone to the trouble of coming specially to seek you?" The people standing nearby, upon hearing this, all said that Hanwen was heartless. The elder inside the shop heard the clamor of voices at the front and hurriedly came out. He saw two beautiful young women standing before the shop arguing with Hanwen. He immediately stepped forward and called out: "Ladies, please come inside. If you have words to say, you may explain them to this old man—there is no need to dispute in the street, for it is unseemly." When Bai Shi heard this, she quickly entered the main hall together with Xiaoqing, and spoke, saying "Ten thousand blessings." The elder returned the greeting and then called for his wife to come out and keep them company. After the formal greetings were exchanged, they all sat down. The elder asked: "Lady, where is your honorable abode? What is your esteemed surname and noble given name? Are your father and mother still alive? What is your relation to Officer Xu? And what business have you come to my shop to argue with him about? I beg you to tell me in full detail." Bai Shi wept and said: "Elder and Madam, may I respectfully beg you to hear your servant's account in full. Your servant is a native of Qiantang County, Hangzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang. My late father, Bai Ying, was an Imperial Censor-in-Chief; my late mother, nee Liu, was a titled lady of rank. I have no brothers, and I am their only child, given the name Zhenniang. I am now seventeen years of age, and my maidservant is Xiaoqing. My fate has been ill-starred—my parents passed away one after another. I have neither close relatives nor a single five-foot servant to answer the door. Because of the Qingming Festival, I took Xiaoqing up the mountain to sweep the graves of my father and mother. We encountered rain and shared a boat with Officer Xu, and he was kind enough to lend us an umbrella to shelter us on our return. A few days later, he came to reclaim the umbrella, and I detained him for a meal. During the meal I inquired in detail into his family lineage. Regretting that I am but a woman with little discernment, I then and there pledged to marry him, with his brother-in-law Li Gongfu as the go-between. Because I pitied his poverty, I thoughtlessly gave him two ingots of fine silver as wedding expenses. My father, while alive, had held the post of Inspector-General, and left behind treasury silver ingots. I knew nothing of a theft from the county treasury, but his brother-in-law rashly denounced it and had him confess under torture. The county magistrate issued a warrant to arrest your servant, but thanks to the warning of the neighbors, your servant and her maidservant had no choice but to flee and take shelter elsewhere. When the magistrate could not apprehend anyone, he sentenced him to come here. I, valuing my chastity above all, vowed that I would never marry another, and so my maidservant and I have traveled a thousand li to come here, hoping only that husband and wife might be reunited. Little did I expect that Officer Xu, being fickle, would refuse to acknowledge me and instead suspect your servant of being a demon or a goblin. Enough! Since he refuses to acknowledge me, your servant has no face to return home. I had better end my life and go to the underworld." With that, she stood up and made to dash her head against the steps. When the elder and his wife saw this, they were struck with such terror that their souls fled and their wits scattered. The madam hurried forward and embraced her. The elder urged: "Miss, you must not take your life so lightly. Leave this matter to this old man—I guarantee that you and your husband shall be reconciled." He then ordered the madam to invite the young lady and her maidservant inside to rest. The elder paced out to the shop and called Hanwen forward, urging him: "You should not take her for the wrong sort. She is a lady of noble birth, and she has journeyed all this way for you." He then recounted Bai Shi's words one by one to Hanwen. Upon hearing this, Hanwen was half-convinced and half-doubting. He thought to himself: "If she truly were a demon, surely there would be no lack of handsome men elsewhere—why should she travel a thousand li for my sake? This must be a predestined bond from a former life." Moreover, he had always cherished a secret admiration for Bai Shi's beauty, and his heart was already more than a little stirred. When the elder saw that Hanwen did not speak, he could not help but grow angry and said: "You are so heartless! If you treat your own wife thus, then how much more so would you treat a friend? I have no further use for you in my shop—from this day on, our friendship is severed!" Hanwen hastily said: "Elder, do not be angry. I will obey your command." When the elder saw that he agreed, he turned his anger to pleasure and said: "Immortal Officer, I have urged you thus out of good will and out of affection for you. If you and your wife are united in harmony, what has that to do with this old man?" The elder then found another dwelling elsewhere, moved utensils and household goods over, and selected an auspicious day. The madam, dressed in festive attire, personally escorted Bai Shi over. The two bowed before the altar, then entered the bridal chamber together and were married that very night, their love exceeding the ordinary. There is a poem as witness: Together they were invited into the brocade chamber; in her silk robe she blushed and shyly undressed, like Consort Mei. You must cherish her, for she is not yet used to this; dew drips on the peony, and her soul seems ready to fly. After the three days of the wedding rites were completed, they came to thank the员外 and the lady of the house. From then on, the couple celebrated every day as if it were the Cold Food Festival and every night as if it were the Lantern Festival; even Xiaoqing shared in the springtime pleasures—but no more need be said of that. Now, one day, because there was nothing to do in his shop, Wu Yuanwai had a sudden thought: “I persuaded Xu Xian and his wife to be united, which can be counted as a good deed. Now his family of three is no longer like the lone man of before; I must see to his welfare to the very end, so that he may avoid future hardship of cold and hunger.” Having made up his mind, he rose and left the shop and came to Hanwen’s home. Hanwen received him in the hall and they sat down to talk. The员外 spoke, saying: “Xian官贤侄, I have nothing to do today, so I have been thinking for you: now that your household has three mouths, unlike before, if you do not find some proper occupation, where will your daily expenses come from? The old saying goes: ‘Better to have a thousand strings of cash at home than to earn one coin a day.’ I have considered for you: other trades are hard to make money from, but the medicinal herbs line is your familiar path. You might open a small pharmacy here and thus manage your livelihood. If you lack start-up capital, I will gladly contribute from my own purse to help you.” Hanwen joyfully replied: “I have repeatedly received your great kindness, sir; how can I ever repay you?” The员外 said: “I am merely doing my small part—why speak of repayment?” With that, he rose and took his leave. Hanwen saw him out the door and then went back inside to tell Bai. The couple rejoiced—no need to elaborate. That night passed without event. The next morning, after rising, the员外 sent a man over with one hundred taels of silver. Hanwen was delighted and promptly took them in and handed them to Bai. He had the front of the house renovated and chose an auspicious day to open the pharmacy, naming it “Bao'an Tang” (Hall of Safeguarding Peace). He hired a worker named Tao Ren to assist in the shop. Before they knew it, nearly a month had passed with no business at all. Hanwen grew anxious and came inside to say to Bai: “My worthy wife, we have been open for almost a month, and business is slack—what shall we do?” Bai replied: “Husband, do not worry. Since my childhood, I accompanied my late father in the Governor-General’s office. One day, while strolling in the garden, the Old Mother of Li Mountain suddenly descended from the sky and said that I had a karmic affinity with the immortals. She bade me become her disciple and taught me magic arts, enabling me to know past and future, to expel demons and monsters, and also to cure all illnesses. Husband, tomorrow put out a physician’s signboard. If anyone comes to summon us, I will already know the symptoms beforehand, and I guarantee that the ailment will be cured with a touch—then we need not worry about money!” Hearing this, Hanwen happily said: “It is rare that my wife has such sublime skills—how fortunate I am to have gained such a worthy helpmate.” That night passed. The next day, Hanwen put out a physician’s signboard, which read: “Confucian Physician Xu Hanwen, skilled in treating all major and minor ailments.” After the sign had been hung for more than ten days, still not a single client came. Helpless, Hanwen consulted Bai again. Bai said: “Husband, last night I observed the celestial signs, and I see that a plague is about to break out here. Let me prepare Plague-Relief Pills; each pill can be sold for three-tenths of a tael of silver, and they will be as effective as magic—surely people will come to buy.” Hanwen was overjoyed. After supper, he went to bed early—no need to speak of it. That night, Bai called Xiaoqing and instructed: “Tonight you shall ride the clouds to all places, and regardless of ponds or wells, spread poisonous vapors for people to inhale; I will refine the pills in readiness.” Xiaoqing accepted the order. At the third watch, she mounted the clouds and went to spread the poisonous vapors over the water surfaces everywhere—no need to recount her return. The next morning, people in every household drew water and cooked, drinking in the poisonous vapors. Within a few days, indeed an epidemic raged through the city and countryside, with nine out of ten families struck down. Hanwen hung out the sign for the Plague-Relief Pills in front of the shop. When the sick families heard of it, they bought one pill and gave it to the patient, who recovered immediately and rose from bed. Word spread—one told two, two told three—and every household said that the Xu family’s pills were marvelously effective; they all came to buy, crowding the shop front so that it was impossible to move. Each pill sold for three-tenths of a tael, and within a few days the pills were sold out and all the patients were cured. Hanwen reaped great profit and praised Bai without cease; from then on, Hanwen’s pharmacy became famous—no need to elaborate. Now it happened that the first day of the fourth lunar month was the sacred birthday of the Patriarch Lü Zu. Men and women from every household all went to the temple to burn incense. On that day, Hanwen took four taels of silver and was going to the Wu family’s to buy and exchange medicinal ingredients. Passing by the Lü Zu Temple, he saw a great crowd of people streaming into the temple to burn incense. He thought: “Since I am passing by here, I might as well go in and look around—would that not be nice?” Having made up his mind, he stepped inside the temple. This going led to: the strong meeting the stronger, and magic surpassing magic. To know what happened afterward, listen to the next chapter for the explanation.