Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio 15

The sky was high and the air crisp—a perfect, auspicious day. Lin Lai’s brush moved as if guided by a spirit, and the moment she finished the final stroke, she felt a surge of certainty: this time, she had truly done it.

Sure enough, the horse she had drawn on the rice paper seemed to leap right off the page, wobbling shakily on the ground.

Ma Jiepu had been laughing since earlier, and now he simply couldn’t stop.

“Are you still laughing?” Lin Lai grumbled, “If you laugh any harder, you’ll bring the roof down!”

The little horse wobbled again.

Ma Jiepu was laughing so much that tears nearly streamed from his eyes.

Irritated, Lin Lai tossed her brush aside and sulked in a corner.

Only then did Ma Jiepu collect himself. He picked up her small wolf-hair brush, cut a fresh sheet of rice paper, took a moment to compose himself, and then began to draw with equally inspired strokes. Soon after, he handed the brush to Lin Lai.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Great calligrapher, would you grace this with your characters?”

Unable to resist, Lin Lai peered at his drawing. He had drawn a horse, too, but his was a spirited and noble steed—though that didn’t mean her own was so hideous. Glancing at her own little horse, still wobbling about, she could only admit it looked… adorably simple.

Yes, simple as a wooden horse, not a living, galloping one.

Lin Lai felt mortified.

Ma Jiepu said reassuringly, “Don’t rush. My drawing won’t come to life, after all.”

She knew he was trying to comfort her—if only he hadn’t laughed so loudly just before. Never mind, she decided to let it go. Taking a steadying breath, her demeanor shifted, and she penned a poem to match his painting, her calligraphy radiating bold, heroic energy.

Ma Jiepu praised her repeatedly, then asked, “Would you like me to teach you how to paint?”

Lin Lai, still holding on to a shred of pride, declared, “I’m destined to walk the path of calligraphy. Painting is just an embellishment.” But as the wooden horse continued to wobble, her pride quickly dissolved. Her shoulders drooped. “I’m afraid I’m just not talented enough.”

Ma Jiepu only smiled.

“Hey, you could at least say something to comfort me,” she muttered.

Unwilling to give up, Lin Lai tried several more times in secret, but to no avail. Frustration consumed her. Her dream of becoming Lin Lai the Magic Brush seemed shattered before it had even begun—just like the time she’d tried to use a powerful artifact to project an apparition, succeeding only once.

Not wanting to mope alone, she decided to feed Chixiao using a more affordable Wuyuan ink instead of her usual, pricier Shexian ink.

To her surprise, Chixiao noticed the difference and refused to eat.

Feigning nonchalance, Lin Lai said, “Clearly, you’ve never had to manage a household. This stick of Wuyuan ink cost half a tael of silver! Eat it or don’t, it’s up to you.”

Chixiao reluctantly gave in, but after taking a sip of the ink, it suddenly sprayed it all over Lin Lai.

She dodged just in time, but Ma Jiepu, who had just entered, was caught in the crossfire—his face and clothes splattered with ink. Now it was Lin Lai’s turn to revel in schadenfreude, with even Chixiao neighing gleefully at her side.

Ma Jiepu was speechless.

Out of options, he played his trump card: “How am I supposed to meet your mother-in-law like this?”

Not wanting to be nagged, Lin Lai quickly tried to placate him. Since simply changing into fresh clothes wouldn’t do, she had a sudden inspiration. Using his robe as a canvas, she transformed the ink stains into calligraphy, then applied a “Lasting Forever” talisman to keep the writing from smudging.

Unexpectedly, this style of clothing set off a small fashion trend in Changqing County.

·

In the second year after their marriage, Lin Lai and Ma Jiepu left Changqing County to travel, wandering through mountains and rivers.

On the road, they encountered all sorts of events, both good and bad; they made many friends, some human, some not. Missing her parents—especially her mother, Madame Xu, who seldom left home—Lin Lai made a habit of writing travelogues and sending them home from every stop.

At first, these were simple records of local customs and scenery. Later, she began chronicling other tales, such as “A Villain Impersonates the Wine Master to Extort Money, a Gallant Hero Outsmarts and Captures Him,” or “A Scholar’s Ghost or a Pond Demon? The Mystery of the Shrouded Corpse at Quzhou Academy,” and even “That Night, Young Ladies Came Knocking at My Door Together.”

Well, perhaps not the last one. Lin Lai refused to be a sensationalist, though the incident did occur; the girls only gathered to chat and drink together, nothing more. Among them were the radiant Xin Fourteenth Lady, the gentle Tao Huangying, and the elegant Yun Cuixian. Xin Fourteenth Lady had married a few years prior to a man named Feng; Tao Huangying and Yun Cuixian remained unmarried.

Truth be told, Lin Lai’s travelogues weren’t her work alone—her brother-in-law Ma Jiepu contributed much. At every scenic spot, when it was time to compose a poem or record the landscape, the multi-talented Ma Jiepu would take the stage. He appeared in many of her stories as well.

After two years, they returned home.

Passing through Guangping Prefecture, they visited Xin Fourteenth Lady, who now lived there. They arrived to find her husband, Feng Jisheng, jailed on a false murder charge after a drunken mistake, and despite her efforts, no one dared help her.

Lin Lai and Ma Jiepu were exactly what she needed. After much effort, they finally cleared Feng Jisheng’s name.

But after this ordeal, Xin Fourteenth Lady had grown disillusioned with worldly affairs. If not for her karmic debt, she would never have married Feng Jisheng. Now that he was safe, she resolved to leave and devote herself to cultivation, aspiring to join the ranks of the immortals.

Feng Jisheng, formerly addicted to drink and poor at judging character, had often ignored her advice. This calamity finally spurred him to reform, but he was unwilling to let her go.

He ignored every attempt she made to arrange a new wife for him.

Left with no choice, Xin Fourteenth Lady faked her death to escape, thanked Lin Lai and Ma Jiepu once more, and, inspired by the Holy Mother of Mount Taihua, left to seek her own path.

Lin Lai and Ma Jiepu were left staring at each other.

It was Lin Lai who spoke first: “Brother Jiepu, we need to talk.”

As Ma Jiepu responded, Lin Lai continued, “I remember you once said you wished to seek immortality and transform from a spirit to a celestial being, right? Well—”

Ma Jiepu cut in, “But not because of any romantic tribulation.”

Lin Lai waved her hand. “I know. I’m asking, when you ascend, will you, like Fourteenth Lady, thoughtfully arrange for me to remarry?”

Ma Jiepu was stunned.

He asked, “Baolu, won’t you ascend with me?”

She replied, “I was only joking. What I really want to know is: how long until you attain immortality?”

They spoke almost simultaneously, then both fell silent.

“Hmm?” Lin Lai answered his question first. “I’ve never even considered it.”

Ma Jiepu forced a smile. “Baolu, we need to talk.”

Their conversation revealed that Lin Lai had never aimed for immortality—her years spent exorcising evil spirits were simply meaningful work to her. Ma Jiepu, on the other hand, was exceptionally gifted and could, within ten years, follow in Fourteenth Lady’s footsteps to become another fox immortal.

“So we only have ten good years together?” she asked.

Her words made Ma Jiepu forget his earlier pang that her heart was more with her parents than with him. Now he was simply saddened by their inevitable parting.

Lin Lai lifted his chin. “Handsome scholar, give your lady a smile.”

“Or better yet, let me smile for you.” She flashed a radiant grin, and Ma Jiepu couldn’t help but smile in return.

“That’s more like it.” She slipped her arm through his. “We shouldn’t be sad—we should cherish every day we have left! How about this: tonight, let’s have the whole chicken feast at Leren Pavilion. If it doesn’t live up to its name, we’ll berate the chef and leave without paying. Sound good?”

Ma Jiepu’s gloom vanished. “Let’s go!”

They ate until they were stuffed, and happily paid the bill.

Later, passing through Jinhua County, Lin Lai visited the Li family and saw A-Liang, now known as Li Zhu. Although he had borrowed a body, his bond with the Li family meant he grew up well, studying at the county academy and beloved by all for his intelligence. His ability to communicate with the netherworld didn’t frighten the Lis; they treated him with the same affection as ever.

Lin Lai was reassured.

Previously, she had asked him to inquire about Nie Xiaoqian. After a trip to the underworld, A-Liang reported that, having become a vengeful spirit, Nie Xiaoqian had to endure punishment, but the King of Hell, understanding the circumstances and since the chief culprit was already destroyed, showed leniency. In another ten years, she could return to the cycle of reincarnation.

·

After Jinhua, they returned to Changqing County.

Lin Lai dragged Ma Jiepu home, barely waiting for the maid to lift the curtain before charging in.

Master Lin couldn’t resist teasing, “Look, our righteous adventurers have returned!”

“Father!” Lin Lai protested.

Madame Xu beckoned her over, asking, “Didn’t you say Quzhou had three wonders? You only wrote about two; what’s the third?”

“Mother!” Lin Lai groaned.

Her elder brother, Lin Bingzhang, arrived to greet them. “I already asked Baolu on the way, and she just tossed me a single word.”

“Brother!” Lin Lai exclaimed.

“Here I am!” he replied.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lin Lai felt her place in the family was slipping, so she decided to stay longer and make herself more present. Yet the very next day, her uncle Xu Jijun sent word, asking for her help. A rash of burglaries had struck the wealthy households—one even lost their entire treasury. The victims had banded together, pressuring the magistrate, who was at his wit’s end.

Lin Lai investigated and determined these were purely human crimes, nothing supernatural. But seeing her uncle so worn out, she continued her inquiries, eventually tracing the thieves to neighboring Qingyun County, where she caught a gang red-handed.

Riding Chixiao over the courtyard wall, she found she wasn’t even needed—the thieves had already been beaten senseless.

In the dim moonlight, she recognized the figure at once. “Saiying!”

It was none other than her dearest friend, Zhu Saiying, a master of the staff and spear.