Chapter 63: Struggle for Dominance
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This is the first chapter of this book. The author says: Because I have experienced a dream, I will hide the truth and use the "Tong Ling" theory to write this book "Shi Tou Ji". Therefore, it is said that "Zhen Shi Yin" and so on. But what events and people are recorded in this book? He also said: "Now, I am busy with worldly affairs, and nothing has been accomplished. Suddenly, I think of the women I have met before, and after careful consideration, I realize that their behavior, actions, and knowledge are all superior to mine. Why is it that I, a man with a good appearance, am not as good as they are? I am truly ashamed, but regret is useless. What can be done about it? At this time, I will recall the blessings of heaven and my ancestors, the times when I wore fine clothes and ate delicious food, and the education and guidance I received from my father, brothers, teachers, and friends. However, until now, I have not accomplished anything, and I am guilty of being lazy and idle for half my life. I will write a book to tell the world: My guilt is undeniable, but there are people in the inner chambers who are truly talented, and it would be wrong to let them be obscured because of my own lack of talent. Although I live in a humble cottage with a thatched roof, a mud wall, and a wooden bed, and although I am exposed to wind and dew every morning and evening, and although there is no one to disturb me as I write, it does not matter if I am uneducated and my writing is unrefined. Why can't I use simple language to tell a story that will make the inner chambers famous again, delight people's eyes, dispel their worries and troubles? Therefore, it is said that "Jia Yu Cun" and so on.
In this chapter, whenever the words "dream" or "illusion" are used, they serve as a reminder to the reader and represent the main idea of this book.
Honorable officials, where did this book come from? Although the origin is seemingly absurd and nonsensical, upon closer examination, it has a profound and intriguing meaning. I shall now annotate its history, so that readers may understand without confusion.
Nüwa used 36,500 blocks of stone to repair the sky and left only one unused block on Mount Qingqiu's peak. This stone, after being refined, had become spiritual and felt ashamed for not being selected to repair the sky with the other stones. It sighed and wailed day and night in shame.
At that moment, a monk and a Taoist priest appeared in the distance, approaching with an extraordinary aura. They sat on a rock at the foot of the mountain, engaged in lively conversation. Initially, they discussed matters of spiritual realms and mystical phenomena, but later shifted to topics of wealth and glory in the mortal world.
The stone, having listened intently, felt its worldly desires stirred. It yearned to experience the luxuries of human life, but regretted its own coarseness and inability to interact with humans. The stone then spoke out, addressing the monk and Taoist priest: "Venerable masters, I am a dull and stupid being, unable to show proper respect. Having overheard your discussion about the glory and splendor of the human world, my heart is filled with longing. Although I may be coarse and unrefined, I possess some degree of spiritual awareness. Witnessing your transcendent forms and extraordinary abilities, I am convinced that you possess remarkable talents and virtues that can benefit humanity.
If you would graciously bestow upon me a small portion of your compassion, take me with you into the mortal realm, and allow me to indulge in its riches and pleasures for a few years. I will forever cherish your kindness and never forget it."
The two sages listened to the stone's plea and responded with gentle smiles: "Ah, the human world does have its delights, but they are fleeting and unreliable. Moreover, the phrase 'beauty is not perfect, good fortune often turns to misfortune' aptly describes the transience of worldly pleasures. In an instant, joy can turn to sorrow, and all things must come to an end. Ultimately, it is all just a dream that vanishes into emptiness.
The stone's worldly desires had already been kindled, and it refused to listen to these words. It continued to beg and plead with the two sages. Recognizing that they could not force their will upon the stone, they sighed and said: "This is indeed a case of 'stillness giving rise to movement,' where something emerges from nothing.
Since you are so insistent, we shall take you with us to experience the pleasures of human life. However, when you encounter difficulties, do not regret your decision." The stone replied, "I will not, I will not."
The monk then said: "Although your spiritual essence is refined, your physical form remains coarse and unremarkable. In this case, we can only make do with what we have. Very well, I shall employ my Buddhist powers to assist you. When the time comes for you to return to your original state, I will restore you to your true nature, thus resolving this matter."
The stone listened intently, filled with gratitude. The monk then recited incantations and performed magical rituals, transforming a large boulder into a brilliant, luminous jade that shone like a precious gemstone. He further reduced its size to that of a small pendant or trinket.
Holding the jade in his palm, the monk smiled and said: "This form is indeed a treasure! However, it still lacks a special quality that would make people recognize its uniqueness at first glance. We must add some markings to it, so that those who see it will know that it is an extraordinary object."
The stone listened with rapt attention as the monk continued: "We shall take you to a land of prosperity and grandeur, where poetry and music flourish, and the people are refined and cultured. There, you will find a place to settle down and enjoy your life amidst wealth and luxury."
Overjoyed, the stone asked: "I wonder what special qualities you have bestowed upon me, and where you plan to take me? Please enlighten me, so that I may not be confused." The monk smiled and replied: "Do not ask for now; you will understand later."
With these words, he tucked the jade into his sleeve and departed with the Taoist priest, disappearing into the distance without a trace.
Later, after unknowingly passing through several reincarnations, a certain Taoist priest visited the mountains to seek immortality and suddenly passed by the foot of Qingfeng Peak in the vast wilderness. He saw that on a large stone, there were clear characters, telling a story in detail. The Taoist priest looked from the beginning and found it was actually about Wucai's supplementing heaven, transforming into the world, Mengmang Dashi, and Yuanyuan Zhenren entering the red dust, experiencing all sorts of joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, warmth and coldness in the mortal world. On the back, there is also a poem that says:
No materials can be used to repair the blue sky, in vain entering the red dust for many years.
Who can recall the past and present, to make a strange legend? After the poem is the place where this stone fell, the birthplace, personally experienced a section of old trace story. Among them, family trivial matters, as well as idle emotions poetry, are still complete, or may be interesting to relieve boredom, but the dynasty years, geography, country, however, lost without examination.
The Stone said with a smile, "My master is too foolish! If you say that there is no dynasty or era to verify, then why can't I just make one up? But what I think is that all the unofficial histories are the same, so why not try something new and different? Just take the essence of the story and its emotions, and don't worry about the dynasty or era. Moreover, ordinary people don't like reading books about politics and governance, but they love reading interesting and leisurely writings. All the unofficial histories either mock and slander emperors and officials, or degrade people's wives and daughters, with countless examples of evil and cruelty. And then there are those writings that specialize in romance and sex, which are filthy and corrupting, ruining young men and causing them to lose their way. As for books about talented scholars and beauties, they all follow the same pattern, and can't help but involve excessive sensuality, resulting in a full page of Pan An, Sima Xiangru, Xi Shi, and Zhuo Wenjun, just so that the author can show off his own romantic poems and essays. And then there are those books that pretend to be about talented scholars and beauties, but actually have nothing to do with them, and only serve as a foil for some minor character who is always causing trouble, like a clown in a play. And when it comes to the language used, it's either flowery or pedantic, and doesn't ring true. So if you look at all these books one by one, they're all self-contradictory and don't make sense. They're not as good as my own experiences and observations of a few women, which may not be as impressive as those in the classic novels, but are still interesting and can help to dispel boredom and melancholy. And I've also included some poems and familiar sayings that can add flavor to wine and food. As for the joys and sorrows, reunions and separations, rises and falls, I've followed their tracks and haven't dared to add any fabrications, just so that I can provide a true account and not lose its authenticity. Nowadays, poor people are busy with their daily struggles, while rich people are always worried about not having enough. Even if they have some free time, they're still preoccupied with desires and anxieties, and don't have the energy to read books about politics and governance. So I'm not hoping that people will praise my story as extraordinary or wonderful, nor do I want them to be overjoyed when reading it. I just hope that when they're feeling tired or bored, or need something to take their mind off things, they can pick up this book and read it, and thus save some of their energy and lifespan. And compared to those books that are full of empty words and fabrications, my story is actually more beneficial, as it can help people avoid the harm caused by gossip and rumors, and the exhaustion caused by running around and seeking after things. Moreover, it will also give readers a new perspective, different from those books that are full of clichés and familiar patterns, such as those about talented scholars and beauties, Sima Xiangru, Zhuo Wenjun, Hongniang, and Xiaoyu."
The Empty Void Daoist listened to this and pondered for a moment, then reviewed "The Story of the Stone" again. He saw that although there were some words criticizing corruption and condemning evil, it was not intended to satirize the times or curse the world. On the contrary, in all matters related to ethics and morality, such as the virtues of rulers and ministers, fathers and sons, it was all praise and commendation, without end. This was truly unlike other books. Although the main theme discussed emotions, it was merely a factual record of events, not fabricated or falsely claimed, nor was it an attempt to entice or seduce with flowery language, privately making promises or forming clandestine alliances. Since it did not interfere with the world at all, he copied it from start to finish and asked about its origins. From then on, the Empty Void Daoist, due to his empty and carefree nature, gave rise to emotions, transmitted emotions into emptiness, and awakened to emptiness through emotions, so he changed his name to Qing Seng (Emotion Monk) and renamed "The Story of the Stone" to "Qing Seng Lu" (Record of Emotion Monk). Dong Ru Kong Mei Xi then titled it "Feng Yue Bao Jian" (Precious Mirror of Wind and Moon). Later, because Cao Xueqin spent ten years revising it in his study, making five revisions, compiling a directory, and dividing it into chapters, he titled it "Jin Ling Shi Er Chai" (Twelve Beauties of Jinling). He also composed an inscription that read:
A sheet of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears!
Everyone says the author is crazy, but who can understand the meaning behind it?
When you go out, it's already bright, and look at what story is on the stone. According to the inscription on the stone:
When the land of Wu fell to the southeast, in this southeastern corner there was a place called Gusu, with a city called Panmen, which was one of the most wealthy and elegant places in the world. Outside Panmen City, there was a street called Shili Street, inside which there was an alley called Renqing Alley, where there was an old temple, because the location was narrow, people all called it Hulu Temple. Next to the temple lived a family of rural officials, with the surname Zhen, named Fei, and courtesy name Shi Yin. His wife, Feng Shi, was kind, virtuous, and well-versed in etiquette. Although their family was not very wealthy or noble, they were still considered a respected family by the locals. Because Zhen Shi Yin had a calm and contented nature, he did not think about fame or fortune, every day he only enjoyed viewing flowers, trimming bamboo, drinking wine, and reciting poetry, truly a divine and elegant person. There was just one thing lacking: this year he was already fifty years old, but under his knees there were no sons, only one daughter, named Yinglian, who was only three years old.
In a remote mountain, during the sweltering summer days, a scholar sat idly in his study, tired of reading and dozed off on his desk. He fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of a place he couldn't recognize. Suddenly, a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest appeared before him, walking and talking as they went.
The Taoist asked the monk, "Where are you taking this foolish creature?" The monk smiled and said, "Don't worry, we have a romantic case to settle, and these lovers haven't been born yet. We'll take advantage of this opportunity to bring them together."
The Taoist replied, "So another cycle of romance and tragedy is about to begin? But where will they end up?" The monk chuckled and said, "This is a rare and unheard-of event. It's because on the banks of the Western Spirit River, there's a three-lived stone, and nearby, a red jade grass grows. A heavenly maiden waters it with dew every day, allowing it to live for centuries."
The monk continued, "Later, after receiving the essence of heaven and earth, and being nourished by rain and dew, the grass transformed into a human form, becoming a woman who wanders outside the sky of longing. She eats honey and green fruit when hungry, and drinks the water of the River of Sorrow when thirsty."
The monk explained that this heavenly maiden still had to repay the kindness of the heavenly maiden who watered her, so she carried a deep emotional debt within her. Recently, this heavenly maiden's worldly desires flared up, and she wanted to descend into the mortal world to experience romantic entanglements.
The Taoist asked, "What about the heavenly maiden's tears? How will they be repaid?" The monk replied, "She said that since she has no water to repay the debt, she'll go down to the mortal world as a human and cry for her entire life to repay him."
The Taoist exclaimed, "This is indeed a rare event! I've never heard of anyone repaying debts with tears." The monk agreed, saying that this story was more intricate and detailed than any previous romantic tale.
The Taoist noted that most stories about romance only describe the general outline and poetry, but don't delve into the daily lives and emotions of the characters. The monk added that most romantic tales are just about secret trysts and elopements, without exploring the true feelings of the people involved.
The Taoist suggested, "Why don't we also go down to the mortal world and help a few souls escape their entanglements? Wouldn't that be a virtuous act?" The monk agreed, saying, "Let's go to the heavenly maiden's palace and hand over this foolish creature. Once these star-crossed lovers have finished their tale, we can descend into the world."
The Taoist asked, "But what about the other half of the souls who haven't been born yet?" The monk replied, "Don't worry, they'll come later. For now, let's follow me."
But then Zhen Shiyin and Jia Yucun both heard it clearly, but didn't know what the "stupid thing" was. So they couldn't help but go forward and pay their respects, laughing and asking: "Two immortal masters, please." The monk also hurriedly returned the courtesy and asked. Shiyin then said: "Just now I heard the immortal master's discussion of cause and effect, which is truly a rare thing in the world. But this disciple is foolish and dull-witted, and cannot thoroughly understand it. If you would be willing to enlighten my ignorance, and explain it again in detail, this disciple will listen carefully, and perhaps can gain some insight, and also avoid the suffering of sinking into the abyss." The two immortals smiled and said: "This is a profound mystery that cannot be revealed beforehand. When the time comes, don't forget us two, and you can jump out of the fire pit." Shiyin heard this, and didn't dare ask again. He smiled and said: "The profound mystery cannot be revealed beforehand, but just now you mentioned 'stupid thing', I don't know what it is, perhaps I can see it?" The monk said: "If you ask about this thing, there's a bit of a connection." Saying this, he took out something and handed it to Shiyin. Shiyin received it and looked at it, and it turned out to be a beautiful piece of jade with clear characters carved on it, which read 'Magic Spirit Jade' in four characters, and on the back there were several lines of small characters. Just as he was carefully looking at it, the monk said they had arrived at the Illusory Realm, and forcibly snatched it out of his hand. Together with the Taoist, they passed through a large stone gate, which had four big characters written on it: 'The Great Void Illusory Realm'. On both sides there was also a couplet that read:
When false becomes true, true also becomes false. When nothing exists, something still remains. Scholar Shi was lost in thought and followed the past. Just as he took a step forward, he suddenly heard a loud thunderclap, like a mountain collapsing and the earth shattering. Scholar Shi let out a loud cry and opened his eyes to see only flames burning brightly and banana leaves swaying gently. He had forgotten more than half of what he had dreamed about. Then he saw his wife holding their daughter Lin Daiyu and walking towards him. When Scholar Shi saw that his daughter was even more lovely, with her delicate makeup and jade-like complexion, he couldn't help but stretch out his hands to take her from his wife's arms and hold her close, playing with her for a while before taking her to the front of the street to watch the commotion of the passing procession. Just as they were about to enter, a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest appeared: the monk was bald-headed and barefooted, while the priest had a crippled foot and a messy head, looking crazy and laughing wildly as they approached. When they reached Scholar Shi's door, they saw him holding Lin Daiyu in his arms. The monk suddenly burst into tears and said to Scholar Shi, "Sir, why are you holding this unlucky child who will bring misfortune to her parents?" Scholar Shi listened but thought it was just nonsense and ignored them. The monk continued, "Give her up! Give her up!" Scholar Shi lost patience and turned to go inside with his daughter in his arms. The monk pointed at him and recited four lines of verse:
Spoiled and pampered, you laugh foolishly, while lotus flowers face the snow alone.
Good to avoid the Lantern Festival after, it is time for smoke and fire to disappear. Mr. Shi heard clearly, hesitated in his heart, and wanted to ask about their origins. Only the Taoist said: "You and I don't have to travel together, let's part ways here and go our separate ways." After three calamities, I will wait for you at Beimang Mountain, and we will meet again to go to the Taixu Fantasy Realm to settle accounts." The monk said: "Wonderful! Wonderful!" After finishing speaking, the two of them left, and there was no sign of them anymore. Mr. Shi thought to himself at this time: These two people must have a background, and they should be asked, but now it's too late to regret.
He was just indulging in his own reverie, when he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps outside, and he saw a poor scholar, surnamed Jia, named Hua, with the courtesy name of Shifeng, and also known as Yucun, who lived in the temple next door, walk out. This Jia Yucun was originally from Huizhou, and his family had been officials and scholars for generations, but he was born at the end of an era, and his parents and ancestors' foundation had already been exhausted, leaving only him with a single body and mouth, unable to make a living in his hometown. He came to the capital to seek fame and fortune, and rebuild his family's fortunes. Since last year, he had been stuck here, temporarily taking refuge in the temple to make a living by selling calligraphy and writing for people, so Shi Ying often interacted with him. At this moment, Yucun saw Shi Ying, and hastily paid his respects, smiling and saying: "Sir is leaning against the door, looking out, is there some news on the street?" Shi Ying smiled and said: "No, I was just taking my little daughter out to play, and it's really boring, brother has come at the right time, please come in and chat with me, we can both pass this eternal afternoon." As he spoke, he had someone take his daughter inside, and he himself took Yucun by the hand into the study. A young servant brought tea. They had just talked for three or five sentences when suddenly a servant rushed in to report: "Old Master Shi has come to pay his respects." Shi Ying hastily got up to apologize, saying: "Please forgive me for not being able to entertain you properly, please sit down, I'll be right back." Yucun also hastily stood up and said: "Sir, please go ahead. As a frequent visitor, it's no trouble to wait a bit." As he spoke, Shi Ying had already gone out into the front hall.
Here is the translation:
It was raining in the village, and Jia Yu Cun was flipping through books to alleviate his boredom. Suddenly, he heard a woman's cough outside the window, so he got up to take a look. It turned out to be a maid, picking flowers. She had a pretty face, clear eyes, and although she wasn't extremely beautiful, there was something charming about her. Jia Yu Cun couldn't help but stare.
The maid from the Zhen family picked some flowers and was about to leave when she suddenly looked up and saw someone in the window. He was wearing old clothes, and although he looked poor, he had a robust build, a broad face, and a square mouth. His eyebrows were shaped like swords, his eyes sparkled like stars, and his nose was straight. The maid quickly turned around to avoid him, thinking to herself: "This man is so majestic, but yet so shabby. I think he must be the Jia Yu Cun my master often talks about, who has been intentionally helping us with our difficulties. But we don't have any relatives as poor as this. It must be him." She thought that maybe he wasn't destined to be in a difficult situation for long.
Thinking this way, she couldn't help but turn her head twice. Jia Yu Cun saw her turn around and thought that the woman had taken a liking to him, so he was overjoyed, thinking that this woman must have feelings for him.
