Liu Zigu from Haizhou visited his uncle in Gaixian when he was fifteen years old. Seeing a woman in the grocery store, stunningly beautiful, I fell in love with her. He quietly came to the store, pretending to buy a fan, and the woman called her father. Seeing her father come out, Liu Zigu was very frustrated, so he deliberately lowered the price with the old man and left. Seeing the woman’s father go elsewhere from afar, he returned to the shop. The woman wanted to find her father again, but Liu Zigu quickly stopped her and said, “Don’t go looking, just say a price, I won’t care about the price.” The woman listened to him and deliberately said a high price. Liu Zigu couldn’t bear to compete with her for a price, so he gave her all the money he had and left.
The next day, Liu Zigu came again, just like yesterday. Just a few steps after paying, the woman chased after him and called out, “Come back! What I just said was a lie, the price is too high!” She then returned half of the money to him. Liu Zigu felt that she was more honest. Afterwards, while her father was away, Liu Zigu often came to the store and gradually got to know her. The woman asked Liu Zigu, “Where do you live?” Liu Zigu truthfully told her, and then asked her what her surname was? The woman said, “My surname is Yao.” As Liu Zigu was about to leave, the woman wrapped the things he had bought in paper and then licked the edge of the paper with her tongue to stick it on. Liu Zigu was reluctant to open the package when he returned, afraid of messing up the woman’s tongue marks. Half a month later, Liu Zigu’s actions were discovered by the servant, who privately told his uncle and forced him to go back. Liu Zigu had a sincere affection and never forgot his love. He secretly put the fragrant handkerchief, makeup, and other things he bought from the woman in a box. When no one is around, I close the door and take out things to take a look, feeling deeply moved and longing for them.
The next year, Liu Zigu came to Gai County again. Just as I put down my luggage, I went to the store to find the woman. When he arrived there, the shop door was tightly closed, and Liu Zigu went back disappointed. He thought that the woman and her father would occasionally go out and not come back, so he went back early the next day, and the shop door was still tightly closed. Liu Zigu inquired with his neighbors and found out that the Yao family was originally from Guangning. Due to poor business here, they had temporarily returned to Guangning, and no one knew when they would come back again. Liu Zigu looked dejected and lost. After staying for a few days, I went home unhappily. His mother proposed marriage to him, but he always stopped her. My mother felt strange and very angry. The servant secretly told his mother about his past, and her mother became even more strict in controlling and preventing him. From now on, he can no longer go to Gaixian. Liu Zigu is in a daze all day, unable to eat or sleep. The mother was so worried that she couldn’t help but fulfill her son’s wish. So he immediately chose a day, prepared his luggage, and asked his son to go to Gaixian to convey his mother’s wishes, and asked his uncle to send someone to propose to the Yao family. Uncle immediately went to Yao’s house. After a while, Uncle came back and said to Liu Zigu, “It’s not easy to handle. Axiu has already promised to the people of Guangning.” Liu Zigu was dejected and disheartened. After returning home, holding the box and sobbing; I often wander and miss, hoping for a second embroidery in the world.
At this moment, a matchmaker came to propose marriage and praised the beautiful Huang family girl from Fuzhou. Liu Zigu was worried that the matchmaker’s words might not be accurate, so he ordered his servant to drive to Fuzhou to take a look. Entering the Xicheng Gate, Liu Zigu saw a house facing north, with two doors half open and a girl inside who looked very much like Axiu. Upon closer inspection, the girl turned around and looked inside as she walked, not at all wrong. Liu Zigu was greatly moved, so he went to his neighbor’s house on the east side to inquire and found out that the girl’s surname was Li. Liu Zigu pondered repeatedly, puzzled, how could there be such a similar person in the world! I stayed for a few days and didn’t find a chance to meet the girl. I only stared straight at the girl’s doorstep, hoping that she would come out again.
One day, as the sun was about to set, the girl did indeed come out. Suddenly seeing Liu Zigu, he immediately turned back, pointed his fingers behind him, placed his palm on his forehead, and then entered the house. Liu Zigu was extremely happy, but he didn’t know what the girl meant. After pondering for a while, she strolled to the back of her house. I saw a deserted garden in silence and emptiness. There is a low wall to the west, only shoulder high. Liu Zigu suddenly understood the girl’s meaning, so he crouched down and hid in the grass. After staying for a long time, someone poked their head out of the wall and whispered, “Are you here?” Liu Zigu agreed, and upon closer inspection, it was really Ah Xiu. He was filled with grief, tears falling like rain. The girl leaned over the wall and wiped his tears with a towel, constantly comforting him. Liu Zigu said, “I have tried my best, but my wish has not come true. I thought there was no hope in this life. How did I expect there to be today? How did you come here?” The girl said, “Li is my cousin.” Liu Zigu asked Axiu to come over the wall, and Axiu said, “You go back first and send the servant to live somewhere else. I will come by myself.” Liu Zigu listened to her and sat at home waiting. After a while, Axiu quietly came. No heavy makeup, the robe and pants are still the ones I used to wear. Liu Zigu held her arm and sat down, recounting in detail the pain of his lovesickness. So she asked again, “You have already been betrothed to someone, why haven’t you been married yet?” Ah Xiu said, “Saying that I have already been betrothed to someone is a lie. My father, because your family is too far away, doesn’t want to marry you, so he asked your uncle to deceive you with lies to dispel your thoughts.” After saying that, the two of them went to bed and fell in love with each other, indescribable. Just after the fourth shift, Ah Xiu quickly got up and climbed over the wall to leave. Liu Zigu no longer thinks about the Huang family girl and has forgotten to go back to live here. It’s been a month and I haven’t come home yet.
One night, the servant got up to feed the horses and saw that there was still a light on in Liu Zigu’s room. He secretly looked around and saw that it was Ah Xiu. He was very shocked, but dared not tell his master. The next morning, the servant went to the market to petition and investigate before returning to ask Liu Zigu, “Who was the person you dated at night?” Liu Zigu initially refused to tell him. The servant said, “This house is too deserted, it’s a gathering place for ghosts and foxes. The young master should love himself. How did the girl from the Yao family come here?” Liu Zigu awkwardly said, “The western neighbor is her cousin, what’s there to doubt?” The servant said, “I have investigated it in detail. The eastern neighbor only has a lonely old lady, the western neighbor only has a child, and there are no relatives living in the house. What you have encountered must be ghosts and monsters. Otherwise, there would be clothes that haven’t been changed for several years? Besides, her complexion is too pale, her cheeks are slightly thin, and she doesn’t have dimples when she smiles, unlike Axiu Mei. Very scared, he said, ‘What should we do then?’ The servant plotted to hit her with the guy when she arrived. After dark, the girl came and said to Liu Zigu, “I know you suspect me. But I didn’t mean anything else, I just thought about past fate.” Before he could finish speaking, the servant pushed open the door and the girl loudly scolded him, “Throw away your guy! Put on the wine quickly, I’ll say goodbye to your master!” The servant threw away his weapon as if someone had taken it away. Liu Zigu was even more afraid and reluctantly set up the banquet. The girl was chatting and laughing as usual, pointing her hand at Liu Zigu and saying, “I know what’s on your mind, and I was planning to do my best to serve you. Why do you want to harm me secretly? Although I’m not Axiu, I also think I’m not worse than Axiu. Do you think I’m really not as good as the person you used to be?” Liu Zigu was so scared that he couldn’t speak.
The girl listened and made three changes, picked up her glass and took a sip, stood up and said, “I’m leaving for now. After your wedding, I’ll compare my beauty and ugliness with my new wife.” She turned around and disappeared.
Liu Zigu believed the fox spirit’s words and went to Gai County to complain that his uncle had deceived him, unwilling to stay at his uncle’s house. Move to a place near the Yao family, entrust a matchmaker to propose marriage to you, and impress the Yao family with generous dowries. Yao’s wife said, “My uncle has chosen a son-in-law for Axiu in Guangning, and Axiu’s father has gone to Guangning for this. We don’t know if it’s successful or not. We need to discuss it with him after he comes back.” Liu Zigu listened to these words, feeling uneasy and without any advice, so he had to stick here and wait for them to come back.
After more than ten days, I suddenly heard that there was going to be a war. At first, Liu Zigu suspected it was a false rumor, but after a long time, he realized it was true. He hurriedly packed his bags and left. Encountering a war halfway through, the master and servant became separated, and Liu Zigu was captured by the military outpost. The soldiers believed that Liu Zigu was a weak scholar, so they neglected to guard against him. Liu Zigu then stole a horse and escaped. When I arrived at the border of Haizhou, I saw a woman with disheveled hair and difficult steps, unable to walk quickly. Liu Zigu rode past her on horseback, and the woman suddenly shouted loudly, “Isn’t the person on the horse Liu Lang?” Liu Zigu stopped his horse and looked at her carefully. It turned out to be Ah Xiu! He was still afraid that she was a fox in his heart, so he said, ‘Are you really Ah Xiu?’ The woman asked, ‘Why do you say such things?’ Liu Zigu recounted what had happened to him. The woman said, “I’m really Axiu. My father brought me back from Guangning and was caught by soldiers on the way. They gave me a horse to ride, but I kept falling off the horse. Suddenly, a woman grabbed my wrist and pulled me to escape. We ran around in the army without anyone questioning us. That woman ran as fast as a flying eagle, but I couldn’t keep up even if I ran hard. After running for a hundred steps, I dropped my shoes several times. After running for a long time, I heard people shouting and the horse gradually drifted away, and then the girl let go and said, ‘Goodbye. The road ahead is very flat, you can walk slowly. The person who loves you is coming, you can go home with him.’ Liu Zigu understood that the woman was a fox and was very grateful to her. Liu Zigu told Axiu the reason for staying in Gai County. Axiu said that his uncle had proposed a son-in-law surnamed Fang to her in Guangning, and before the dowry could be sent, the war began. Liu Zigu finally realized that what his uncle said was not a lie. He lifted Axiu onto the horse and the two rode back home on a horse.
Upon entering, Liu Zigu was delighted to see his old mother safe and sound. He tied up the horse and told his mother the whole story. My mother was also very happy and hurriedly tidied up Ah Xiu. After finishing her makeup, Ah Xiu’s face was radiant. Her mother clapped her hands and said, “No wonder my silly son can’t forget you in his dreams.” Then she laid the bedding and let Ah Xiu sleep with her. They sent people to Gai County again to deliver letters to the Yao family. A few days later, the Yao couple came together, chose an auspicious day to get married, and then went back.
Liu Zigu took out the box he had collected, but the contents inside remained sealed. There is a box of powder, upon opening it, the powder has turned into red soil. Liu Zigu was very strange. Ah Xiu covered her mouth and smiled, saying, “You only realized the scam a few years ago today. At that time, I didn’t check the authenticity of the package I gave you, so I made a joke with you.” While laughing, a person opened the door curtain and said, “You guys are so happy. You should thank the matchmaker, right?” Liu Zigu saw another Ah Xiu and quickly called out to his mother. His mother and family were all here, and no one could identify the authenticity. Liu Zigu turned around and was also confused; I looked at it for a long time before bowing and thanking a ‘Ah Xiu’. Axiu asked for a mirror and looked at herself, then shyly turned around and ran away. When she looked for her again, she was nowhere to be found. Liu Zigu and his wife were grateful for her kindness and set up a memorial tablet inside the house for worship.
One night, Liu Zigu got drunk and went home, but the room was pitch black and empty. He was about to light the lamp himself when Ah Xiu arrived. Liu Zigu pulled her and asked, “Where have you been?” Ah Xiu smiled and said, “You’re so drunk and smelly, it’s really annoying. If you’re asking people like this, am I going to have a secret meeting with a man?” Liu Zigu smiled and picked up her cheek. Ah Xiu said, “Who do you think is beautiful between me and Fox Sister?” Liu Zigu said, “You’re better than her. But you can’t tell from your appearance.” After that, they closed the door and became intimate. After a while, someone called at the door, and Ah Xiu stood up and smiled, saying, “You’re also someone who only looks at appearance.” Liu Zigu didn’t understand her meaning and walked over to open the door, but Ah Xiu came in. He was extremely shocked, only then did he realize that it was a fox just now. Laughter was heard again in the darkness, and Liu Zigu and his wife looked up at the sky, praying for the fox to appear. The fox said, “I don’t want to see Axiu.” Liu Zigu asked, “Why don’t you change your appearance?” The fox replied, “I can’t.” Liu Zigu asked, “Why can’t you?” The fox replied; Axiu is my younger sister who unfortunately passed away in a previous life. When we were alive, she accompanied my mother to the Heavenly Palace and met the Queen Mother of the West. We secretly admired her in our hearts. After returning home, we carefully imitated the Queen Mother of the West. My younger sister was smarter than me and learned very well in just one month. I studied for three months before learning to be like her, but I couldn’t catch up with her. Now that we are separated by another life, I think I have surpassed her, but I didn’t expect it to be the same as before. I appreciate your sincerity, so I will come back from time to time. Now I’m leaving. “So I didn’t say anything.
From now on, the fox comes once every three to five days. Everything difficult at home can be solved. Whenever Ah Xiu goes back to her mother’s house, the fox often comes to stay for a few days, and the family is afraid to avoid her. Whenever something is lost at home, she dresses up neatly, standing upright with a tortoiseshell hairpin a few inches long on her head, and solemnly summons her family to tell them: “The stolen thing must be returned to its original place tonight; otherwise, it will be a headache and there will be no time for regret.” After daybreak, she will indeed see the stolen thing in its original place. Three years later, the fox never came again and accidentally lost valuable items such as gold and silver. Axiu imitated the fox’s makeup techniques to scare her family, which often proved effective.
