Read about the unforgettable incidents that occurred during earthquakes and a woman's encounter with a wolf in this article.
On the evening of the seventeenth day of the sixth month in the seventh year of Kangxi’s reign, around eight or nine o’clock, a great earthquake occurred. At that time, I happened to be residing in Jixia, drinking with my cousin Li Duozhi under the lamplight. Suddenly, we heard a noise resembling thunder coming from the southeast and heading northwest. Everyone was quite surprised, not understanding the cause. Before long, tables and chairs began to sway, wine cups overturned, and the beams, rafters, and pillars shifted and made a “creaking” sound. Everyone looked at each other, and their faces changed color. It took a while before we realized it was an earthquake and hastily ran out of the house. At that time, we saw some buildings collapsing and then standing up again; the sounds of walls collapsing and houses collapsing, along with the cries of children and women, were continuous and noisy, as if a pot was boiling over. People were so dizzy that they couldn’t stand, so they had to sit on the ground, rolling with the shaking earth. The river poured over its banks more than ten feet away, and the entire city was filled with the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs. After about an hour, things finally settled down a bit. Looking at the streets, men and women were gathered together, naked, and eagerly describing the scene of the earthquake to each other, forgetting that they hadn’t put on clothes yet. Later, I heard that in some places, wells were tilting and could not draw water. In one household, the orientation of the towers and pavilions had changed from north to south. I also heard that Qixia Mountain had cracked open, and there was a large hole in the Yishui River, covering several acres. These were truly extraordinary and dramatic events.
There was a woman living in the county town who, one night, got up to relieve herself outside. When she returned, she saw a wolf carrying her child. The woman quickly struggled with the wolf for her child. Just as the wolf loosened its grip, the woman snatched her child back and held it in her arms. But the wolf crouched down and refused to leave. The woman cried out loudly for help, and when the neighbors rushed over, the wolf ran away. The woman’s frightened heart finally calmed down, and she couldn’t help but feel relieved. She gestured and described to everyone the situation when the wolf took her child and how she managed to get her child back. After talking for a while, she suddenly realized that she was completely naked, so she ran away. This incident was just like how during the earthquake, men and women forgot that they weren’t wearing clothes. People, in their panic and haste, forget the things they should pay attention to. How absurd it is!
《地震》
康熙七年六月十七日戌刻，地大震。余适客稷下，方与表兄李笃之对烛饮。忽闻有声如雷，自东南来，向西北去。众骇异，不解其故。俄而几案摆簸，酒杯倾覆，屋梁椽柱，错折有声。相顾失色。久之，方知地震，各疾趋出。见楼阁房舍，仆而复起，墙倾屋塌之声，与儿啼女号，喧如鼎沸。人眩晕不能立，坐地上，随地转侧。河水倾泼丈馀，鸡鸣犬吠满城中。逾一时许，始稍定。视街上，则男女裸聚，竞相告语，并忘其未衣也。后闻某处井倾仄，不可汲。某家楼台南北易向。栖霞山裂，沂水陷穴广数亩。此真非常之奇变也。
有邑人妇，夜起溲溺，回则狼衔其子。妇急与狼争。狼一缓颊，妇夺儿出，携抱中。狼蹲不去。妇大号，邻人奔集，狼乃去。妇惊定作喜，指天画地，述狼衔儿状，己夺儿状。良久，忽悟一身未着寸缕，乃奔。此与地震时男妇两忘者，同一情状也。人之惶急无谋，一何可笑！