The Shooting of the Wild Goose by Ding Shan

This is a story about the famous general Xue Rengui during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907). Xue Rengui joins the imperial army in his twenties and serves more than fifteen years in the war against rebellions in Korea. For his outstanding contributions, he is made the Duke of Liao, and returns home in glory. On his way home, at a bend in the Fenhe River, he sees a teenager shooting wild geese with an ordinary bow. Each shot strikes home, and goose after goose falls to the ground. "What an archer!" thinks Xue Rengui, "He hits his target every time!" Xue Rengui tries to achieve the same feat, but even a skilled general like himself is unable to hit a goose each time. He envies the teenager's archery skills, and begins worrying about the possibility of being surpassed, given that the Emperor is still looking for great warriors. Xue Rengui pulls out an arrow and shoots the teenager dead.

Xue Rengui arrives at his front gate, but before he enters, he decides to test his wife's devotion and chastity! Claiming to be a friend of her husband's, he promises her money and a good life if she will run away with him. His wife is a chaste woman, however, and refuses him angrily. Having proven to himself that his wife is faithful to their marriage vows, Xue Rengui begins to reveal his true identity, as well as his new status as Duke of Liao. His wife does not believe him, and he must provide details of their marriage and describe their poverty before he joined the army. His wife is overjoyed to learn that her husband is finally back for good. She opens the gate and lets him in.

After years of separation, they have many things to tell one another. They are relieved to see that they are both in good health. When his wife goes into the kitchen to prepare the meal, Xue Rengui notices a pair of young men's shoes under the bed. He suspects that his wife has been lying to him, and starts to interrogate her. His wife tells him that a baby was born to them not long after he joined the army. The boy is healthy and is very much like his father. Xue Rengui now recalls that his wife was indeed pregnant when he left home. He asks where his son is now, and his wife tells him that their son is still at a bend in the Fenhe River hunting for dinner, and has not yet returned.

Xue Rengui is shocked upon hearing this. He asks what kinds of clothes and hat his son was wearing, and his wife gives him a detailed description. He realizes that the teenager he shot and killed was his son, and doesn't know what to say. His wife is puzzled and asks him what is wrong. With deep regret, he tells her, whereupon she collapses and dies.