Renditions
Nos. 33 & 34 (Spring & Autumn 1990) Classical Prose
By Fan Ye
Translated by Burton Watson
Liang Hong
Liang Hong, whose polite name was Holuan, was a native of Pingling in Fufeng. In the time of Wang Mang his father, Liang Rang, served as subordinate commander of the city gate and was enfeoffed as earl of Xiuyuan and ordered to carry on sacrifices to Shao Hao. Later he resided temporarily in Heidi and died there. Liang Hong was still a boy and because of the troubled times was obliged to wrap the body in a mat and bury it.
Later Liang received instruction at the government university. Though from a poor, family, he was a person of strict integrity. He read widely and understood whatever he read, but he did not concern himself with minute textual study.
After completing his studies he became a pig herder in the Shanglin Park. One time he accidentally left a fire burning and it spread to nearby sheds and buildings. He looked up the owner of the buildings that had been burned and inquired the amount of loss, turning over all his pigs as reparation. When the owner of the buildings insisted that was still not enough, Liang said, "Since I have no house or property, I hope you will let me live here and repay the rest in labour."
The owner agreed, and Liang accordingly laboured for him diligently, never shirking his work morning or evening. The older people of neighbouring families, observing that Liang was no ordinary man, joined together in condemning the owner and praising Liang's worth. The owner then for the first time began to treat Liang with respect and deference and offered to return all his pigs. Liang refused the offer, however, and instead went home to his native village. There the influential families, impressed by his high ideals, in many cases offered their daughters in marriage, but Liang refused all such offers and remained single.
The Meng family of the same district had a daughter who was fat, ugly and dark-complexioned, and strong enough to lift a stone mortar. She turned down what offers of marriage came her way until she reached the age of thirty, when her mother and father asked her her reasons. "I want someone of true worth like Liang Holuan!" she replied.
Liang Hong, hearing of this, sent a proposal of marriage. The girl requested that hemp robes and shoes be prepared for her, along with baskets for weaving and spinning utensils.
When she was married, she first entered the gate of her new home wearing her best clothes and adornments. But seven days passed and Liang Hong refused to answer when she spoke. She knelt by the bed and asked for an explanation, saying, "I heard you were a man of high principles and had rejected several possible brides. I too in my obstinate way rejected several husbands. Now that you have selected me, may I venture to ask where I am at fault?"
Liang Hong replied, "I wanted a woman dressed in plain sturdy clothing, one who could join me in living in retirement deep in the mountains. But here you are robed in fancy silks and daubed with paint and powder. This isn't what I was looking for at all!"
His wife replied, "I wanted to see where your intentions lay, that's all. I have clothes for living the life of a recluse!" Then she changed to a simple mallet-shaped hairdo, put on a hemp robe, and set about her housework in her husband's presence. Liang was overjoyed and exclaimed, "This is the real wife for Liang Hong—she'll know how to take care of me!"
Though her name was Meng Guang, Liang addressed her by her polite name, Deyue, as a sign of respect.
After some time had passed, the wife said, "You always used to say you wanted to live in hiding so as to avoid trouble. Now why are you so silent on the subject? Or do you intend to just hang your head and let trouble come?"
"You're right! " said Liang, and with that the two of them went off to the mountains of Baling, where they supported themselves by farming and weaving.
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Research Centre for Translation, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.