Renditions
No. 57 (Spring 2002)
By Hong Mai
Translated by Alister Inglis
It was during the Daguan period [1107-1110] that the brothers Qian, gentlemen from Suzhou, travelled to study at the Imperial Academy. Spring had just blossomed. They had some time to spare while waiting for an exam, and so they went on a jaunt to the Jade Ford Gardens.
There they met three Taoists who greeted them, and they began a conversation. The Taoists had prominent foreheads and long eyebrows. Their words were pure and frest—pleasing to the ear. After a while they took their leave, saying, 'We have a brew of some small reputation which we would like to share with you, but unfortunately the sun is already low. Let us meet here again tomorrow at high noon and we can entertain you then. Don't be late or you may miss us.'
The Qians agreed. Then, with a laugh, the smallest Taoist remarked, 'Should you miss the appointed time, you can dig up the ground here to find us.' Thinking this a joke, the two of them laughed heartily and took their leave.
The following day the Qians were detained on other business, and it was evening by the time they reached the place of rendezvous. There they found the remains of a feast strewn untidily about. The Taoists were nowhere to be seen. Despondently, they remained there for quite some time until the younger of the brothers asked, 'Could they have been immortals?'
So saying, he fetched a spade and began to dig away at the ground. He had not gone down more than a foot or so when he came upon a stone casket. Opening it, they found images of three Taoists. Their head-dresses were just like those worn by the Taoists they had met the previous day. There was also a book of occult science which contained the formulae for transmuting mercury into silver.
The younger brother suggested, 'Brother, you take the book. I would like to have the images to take home and make offerings of incense to.' The elder brother eagerly agreed.
When the exam came the younger brother met with success. The older one returned to Suzhou where he tested out the formulae. There was not one which did not repay his efforts. Within a few years he had bought thousands of acres of land and became a wealthy man.
One day, however, while he sat on his verandah, the arrival of three Taoists was announced. No sooner had he received them when one of them rose and addressed him thus, 'Do you remember our meeting in the Jade Ford Gardens all those years ago? You took our book of celestial learning, but rather than use it to aid the poor, you exploited it for the sake of your own insatiable greed. Already your wealth has far exceeded its allotment. Heaven, therefore, decrees that you be cut off, and today is the day of your reckoning. If, however, you change your ways this very day, then you may look forward to three more years. If not, you will die tonight. We have been banished to the world of mortals for revealing heaven's secrets, so naturally it falls on us to carry out this sentence.'
After they had left, Master Qian was struck by a wave of remorse. He immediately burned the book and smashed his alchemist's stove. He closed the door of his laboratory, never to open it again.
The next day, the smallest Taoist returned. Before Qian could sit down with him, he was told that his concubine had just given birth and he rushed in to see her. She had given birth to a boy. Returning to his guest, he dound that the Taoist was nowhere to be seen. He questioned his servants, but they knew nothing.
Qian died within three years.
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Research Centre for Translation, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.