| A few tumbledown houses on Yuhuangmiao road outside Fengyi Gate, locked
and kept vacant for a long time, were said to have a fox living inside.
A scholar from Jianxi who had passed the provincial examination arrived
in the capital with a few friends to take the metropolitan examination.
After they failed, they decided to stay in the capital to review their
lessons until the examination opened again. They took lodgings near
the haunted houses because the place was very quiet. One day the
scholar saw a lovely young woman standing in the porch. An intrepid
young man, he was not at all afraid though he knew this must be the fox-woman.
At dusk he went to bow before the ill-reputed houses and mad a few lascivious
remarks. That night he heard rustling in the dark. Knowing
it was the fox-woman, he put out his arm and pulled her onto his bed.
The woman threw herself into his arms, and they made love passionately
until he was utterly exhausted. When the rising moon shone in through
the window, the scholar found himself looking at a gray-haired, dark-faced
old hag. “Who are you?” he asked in dismay. Looking unashamed,
she replied, “I am an old fox who used to live in the gate tower.
My mistress disliked me for being hoggish and lazy, so she drove me to
the broken house on this street. I lived alone for many years and
no one ever took notice of me. Then you come along and take a fancy
in me, so I have put my coyness aside and dedicated myself to you.”
Enraged, the scholar slapped her face hard and looked around for a rope,
intending to tie her up and give her a severe beating. Awakened by
the grappling noise, his friends rushed over to his assistance. The
old fox freed herself from his grip and escaped by breaking through a window.
The next evening the old woman sat under the eaves and called to the
scholar in a gentle voice. As he began to swear, a flying tile struck
him on the head. Another night he was going to bed when he found
her stark naked inside the mosquito net, waving and smiling at him.
He drew his sword to stab her, and she went away weeping. For fear
that the fox would hassle him nonstop, the scholar quickly found another
residence for himself. When he was taking leave in his carriage,
the charming young woman he had seen several days before walked out of
the house. He immediately sent a servant to find out about her.
She turned out to be the landlord’s niece. A few days before she
had come out of the house to buy rogue and powder.
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