# The True Story of Ah Q (Leung)/Chapter 1

The True Story of Ah Q
For more than a year or two I have been wanting to write the true story of Ah Q, but while, on the one hand, I was desirous of doing it, on the other, I vacillated in my purpose. This proves that I am not the sort of person whose name can depend upon his writing for preservation, because in times past it has been necessary that an immortal pen preserve in writing the memory of a person who is to be of imperishable fame; therefore, it is not clear which is dependent upon the other, whether the person is propagated by the pen, or the pen by the person, the point in question becoming more and more unsettled. Yet, my thoughts would inevitably return to Ah Q with such persistence that it seemed as if some supernatural power within my mind kept goading me to the task.
However, on placing my writing brush down to the paper to compose this soon-to-be-forgotten ​sketch, I fully realize the Herculean difficulties which beset me.
My first task is to find a suitable name for the work. Confucius said, "If the name is not proper, the words will not ring true," and due regard should be paid to his saying. Names for a work of this sort are legion: biography, autobiography, mythological record, history of the relations of the emperor's wives, special biography, family history, and short sketch; but it is regrettable that none of these is suited for my use. Biography? This record is not worthy of being placed side by side with those of men of eminence in authentic history. Autobiography? I am not Ah Q. If this is to be called "an outside record,1 where is his "inside record"? If the title "mythological record" is used, it is plain that Ah Q is not a supernatural being. Special biography? The truth is that the president has never given the Department of History a mandate for the making of a record of Ah Q's history. Although the history of England contains no biography of gamblers, the eminent writer Conan Doyle once wrote such a book entitled "Rodney Stone," but it is permissible only for a writer of his eminence to create such works and not permissible for a writer of my humble attainments to do so. The next consideration is the family history. I do not, in fact, know whether I had the same forefathers as Ah Q or not, ​and thus far I have received no reverential treatment at the hands of Ah Q's sons and grandsons. A short sketch, perhaps? But Ah Q never had a long one. To settle the matter once and for all, we might consider this a personal record; but judging from my own writing, which is in the diction of wagon haulers and street mongers and very inferior in style, I dare not make more pretension than is seemly. So, as a last resort, I have no choice but to use as my title the two characters, "true story," taken from the phrase "Refrain from inconsequential speech; keep to the true story," which is a favorite quotation of the novelists, who are not included in the category of the three religions and the nine professions. Even if these two characters should be erroneously considered to be taken from the book of the ancients, the "Su-fa Ching-ch'uan,"2 there is no remedy for the situation.
Second, it is customary on commencing a record of this kind to open with the general introduction: "Mr. So-and-so, otherwise known as So-and-so, and who is a native of Such-and-such a district"; but I do not know Ah Q's surname. There was a time when he seemed to have the surname Chao, but a day later this had turned out to be a matter of doubt.
On this particular occasion, the Venerable Mr. Chao's son had attained the rank of Hsiu-t'sai. ​The booming of gongs announced the arrival of the good news in the village. Ah Q, having just gulped down two bowls of yellow wine, was gesticulating with his hands, stamping his feet, and explaining that this event reflected great honor upon himself because he and the Venerable Mr. Chao were of the same surname. By careful family exposition, he made it clear that he was more venerable than the Hsiu-t'sai by three geneological degrees. At this juncture, a few bystanders who had caught his high-sounding words, began to stand in awe of him.
But how was it to be expected that, on the day following, the ti-pao4 would summon Ah Q into the presence of the Venerable Mr. Chao? As soon as this man set eyes on Ah Q, his face lighted up with red fury.
"Ah Q, you stupid creature! Did you say that you were of the same surname as I?" he shouted.
Ah Q did not so much as open his mouth.
The more he looked at him the more infuriated the Venerable Mr. Chao became. He ran forward a few steps, exclaiming: "How dare you speak such nonsense! How could I have such a relative as you? Is your surname Chao?"
Ah Q remained silent, wishing to retreat to the rear, but the Venerable Mr. Chao rushed upon him and gave him a smack on the mouth.
​"How could your surname be Chao! . . . How could a creature of your sort be worthy of the surname Chao?" Ah Q neither offered resistance nor argued that his surname was Chao but merely stroked his left cheek and withdrew with the ti-pao. Once outside, he received from the ti-pao also a severe reprimanding and thanked him for it by giving him two hundred cash for wine money. Those who learned of this maintained that Ah Q was entirely ignorant of the ways of the world — that he was thus actually inviting people to smack him. So it is probable that his surname might not have been Chao, and even if it had been, he should not have indulged in such chatter when the Venerable Mr. Chao was about. But since to this day no one has mentioned his surname, I have never been sure what it is.
Third, I also do not know how to write Ah Q's name. When he was living, people called him Ah Quei, but after his death, no one again referred to him as Ah Quei. Therefore, how could it happen that a person of his humble station should have his name preserved on durable material such as bamboo or cloth? If we mention preserving his name on bamboo or cloth for a record, this would be the first time it had been done for him, so I am here beset with a difficulty. I have already given the matter my careful thought. Could it be that Ah Quei stands for Ah Quei meaning cassia ​(桂), or Ah Quei meaning nobility (貴)? If he had been called Yüeh-ting5 meaning Moon Pavilion, or if he had been born during the eighth moon, he surely would have been called Ah Quei meaning cassia — he had no other name, or if he had, no one knew what it was — also he would never, on his birthday, have distributed invitations for the securing of complimentary verses. If we were to write his name as Ah Quei meaning cassia, we should be settling the matter too arbitrarily. If he had had an elder brother or a younger one named Ah Fu meaning wealth (富), his name surely would have been Ah Quei meaning nobility, but this could not be, since he was alone in the world; so if his name were written Ah Quei meaning nobility, there would be no means of verifying the authenticity of this assumption. The remaining characters with the sound quei are even more unsuitable for comparison.
In the past, I have already made inquiry of the Venerable Mr. Chao's son, the Hsiu-t'sai; and who would think that so highly educated and cultured a gentleman would have been absolutely ignorant in this matter? But the conclusion which he drew was this: namely, when Ch'en Tu-hsiu inaugurated the New Youth Magazine for the introduction of European words, the flower of ​culture in this nation had sunk into oblivion and so there was no means of investigating the matter I have in mind.
My last resort was to request one of my hometown acquaintances to go in person and delve into the legal documents dealing with Ah Q's case. Eight months later, I received a letter in reply stating that the documents contained no mention of any person whose name was anywhere near the sound of quei. Although I do not know whether there actually was no such name mentioned or whether he did not investigate the matter, still, there is no other course of investigation open to me. Fearing that the system of Mandarin phonetics may not be in vogue just now, I prefer to use a European letter after the fashion of the English spelling, making the name read "Ah Quei," which we shall abbreviate to "Ah Q." This is akin to following blindly the New Youth Magazine, and I feel thoroughly ashamed of myself; but if the Hsiu-t'sai did not know any better, what could you expect of poor me?
Fourth is the matter of Ah Q's native district. If he were actually a Chao, we might, after the old and popular custom, which now prevails in telling of one's native district, look among the footnotes in the general list of surnames and find something of this sort, "Lung-hsi, Tien-shiu, Person"; but it is regrettable that Ah Q's surname is, ​after all, not wholly settled and hence his native district cannot be decided upon.
Although he lived for the most part in Weichuang, he was often in the habit of living in other places, and so he cannot be considered a native of Weichuang. Were we to consider him a native of Weichuang, we would not be in agreement with the accepted methods of writing history.
I may at least find consolation in the fact that the character "Ah" (阿) (a character preceding all familiar names), is legitimate beyond all doubt; and it can be in no way susceptible to misinterpretation and is worthy of being presented at its face value to the general public. As for the rest, that cannot be investigated, except by people of deep erudition. My only hope is that the scientific minds of the historian and the antiquarian, such as Mr. Hu Shih's followers, will be able, in the future, to discover many clues to this mystery; but I fear that by that time my "True Story of Ah Q" will have passed into oblivion.
The foregoing may be considered as a preface to it.