The Salt Smuggler by Pu Songling
Devil-constables take Wang, a petty salt seller, before an underworld Judge, who denounces corrupt officials and traders and appoints him to supervise a river cleanup. Wang scourges his village’s licensed salt merchant; after Wang is found unconscious and brought home, he learns that the merchant has suffered corresponding wounds and visits him. The merchant takes a year to recover, then retires from trade.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Short Story, Supernatural Fiction, Social Satire · 1,392 words
First lines
Wang Shih, of Kao-wan, a petty salt huckster, was inordinately fond of gambling. One night he was arrested by two men, whom he took for lictors of the Salt Gabelle; and, flinging down what salt he had with him, he tried to make his escape.[1] He found, however, that his legs would not move with him, and he was forthwith seized and bound. "We are not sent by the Salt Commissioner," cried his captors, in reply to an entreaty to set him free; "we are the devil-constables of Purgatory. " Wang was horribly frightened at this, and begged the devils to let him bid farewell to his wife and children; but this they refused to do, saying, "You aren't going to die; you are only wanted for a little job there is down below. " Wang asked what the job was; to which the devils replied, "A new Judge has come into office, and, finding the river[2] and the eighteen hells choked up with the bodies of sinners, he has determined to employ three classes of mortals to clean them out. These are thieves, unlicensed founders,[3] and unlicensed dealers in salt, and, for the dirtiest work of all, he is going to take musicians. "[4]
Genres
- Short Story — A compact prose narrative follows Wang’s seizure, underworld assignment, and return home, ending with the injured merchant’s retirement.
- Supernatural Fiction — Devil-constables escort Wang to an infernal Judge, and the beating he administers below corresponds to the merchant’s bodily injuries at home.
- Social Satire — The Judge defends needy salt buyers against corrupt officials and traders, while a licensed merchant suffers punishment; the closing note explicitly identifies the Salt Gabelle as the satire’s target.
Tags
salt monopoly · unlicensed trade · underworld · corrupt officials · supernatural punishment
What this Textopian page supports
The Salt Smuggler is listed on Textopian as a short story by Pu Songling, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Story, Supernatural Fiction, Social Satire
- Length: 1,392 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Salt Smuggler by Pu Songling
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