Opium Addiction

Chen HengqingNanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

3.3

Word count: 720 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

People's addiction to tobacco can take strange and utterly unfathomable forms. In the Wang family of Anqiu, there was an old servant who waited on guests. Once, while a guest was indoors, he heard the old servant outside the curtain making a choking sound after every meal. When asked about it, the servant replied: "I have long been addicted to tobacco, but I no longer smoke. My master rewards me with a packet of tobacco ash, and after meals I swallow it; it is hard to get down, and that is why I make this sound." The guest said: "Why not wash it down with tea?" He replied: "If I took tea with it, my throat would not feel bitter, and then it would not satisfy the craving; that is why I must swallow it dry." It was midsummer at the time, and as he wore no jacket, when he touched his chest with his hand it still rustled. Formerly there was a man in the county who ran a tobacco house; he bought one ounce of raw opium and boiled it in a pot. Just then a friend in ragged clothes came along, covering his face with his sleeve. The proprietor said: "You boil it for me; my family has some business, and I will be back shortly." After a little while he returned to the shop and saw that the opium in the pot was gone. His friend was squatting in a corner by the wall, staring blankly and unable to speak, with tobacco liquid running from his mouth; he knew the man had swallowed it all. Greatly alarmed, he said: "You will die here; what is to be done?" The friend waved his hand to show there was no harm. After half a day he stood up and thanked him, saying: "Today I have had a great surfeit of my craving; it is thanks to you." Then he flew off. There was also an old man whose family had only moderate means; each day he smoked two ounces and spent more than ten pieces of gold.

Editor's review

Centering on the theme of "tobacco addiction," this book collects several old anecdotes: an old servant of the Wang family of Anqiu swallowing tobacco ash, a friend at a tobacco house swallowing all the raw opium, and an old man spending more than ten pieces of gold a day. The writing is spare and the details startling. The author, Chen Hengqing, does not rush to judge; instead he lets the addicts' words and actions reveal their own absurdity and pitifulness: swallowing tobacco ash dry to get relief, and after swallowing all the opium in the pot, calling it "a great surfeit of my craving." These scenes are both shocking and lamentable to read. The text is not long, yet it touches on the intertwining of physical dependence and psychological fixation in addictive behavior, as well as the consumer and social ecology formed around tobacco. It is suitable for readers interested in the social history of modern life and note-style literature, who may read it slowly and savor it, and it can also serve as a literary reference when discussing addiction. The book offers no solutions; its value lies in presentation rather than preaching.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern social life and the history of tobacco consumption
Literary readers who enjoy short note-style pieces and detail-oriented narrative
Thinkers concerned with addiction and human obsession
Professionals who need classical material for writing or teaching reference

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking methods to quit smoking or medical guidance
Novel readers who prefer complete plots and fictional characterization
Readers who may feel discomfort at descriptions of tobacco and swallowing

Reading tips

Read in the order of the pieces, and note the gap between each addict's self-account and the reactions of those around him.
After reading, consult materials on the modern history of tobacco to understand the social consumer background behind the stories.
Read "swallowing tobacco ash dry" and "swallowing all the opium" side by side, and compare the progression in degrees of addiction.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
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FAQ

Are the stories in the book true records or literary fiction?

From the materials, the book narrates the old servant of the Wang family of Anqiu, the friend at the tobacco house, and other matters in the form of old anecdotal notes, bearing the hearsay quality common to note-style literature. The author does not label them as fiction, but such records were mostly passed down by word of mouth; readers may regard them as social narratives reflecting the tobacco addiction phenomenon of the time rather than strict historical sources.

Can this book help in understanding the psychology of addiction?

It can provide a literary observational perspective. In the book, the old servant insists on swallowing tobacco ash dry to relieve his craving, and the friend, after swallowing all the opium, calls it a surfeit; these details present the addict's fixation on stimulation and physical dependence, and can serve as auxiliary material for understanding the psychology of addiction, though they cannot replace professional psychological or medical analysis.

What background knowledge is needed for reading?

A little basic knowledge of modern Chinese tobacco consumption and the operation of tobacco houses would help, such as the boiling of raw opium and the cost of smoking. The book mentions smoking two ounces a day and spending more than ten pieces of gold; with a rough sense of prices at the time, one can better appreciate how addiction consumed family resources. Lack of this background does not hinder reading.

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About the author

Chen Hengqing Author · Chinese · 1844–1920

Chen Hengqing (1844–1920), courtesy name Zijiu, was a native of Weixian in Shandong (present-day Weicheng District, Weifang). A late Qing official and scholar, he passed the provincial examination in 1873 and the metropolitan examination in 1886. He served successively as a secretary in the Ministry of Works, rising through the Waterways, Construction, and Colonization Departments, and later held posts as Supervising Censor of the Ministry of War, Investigating Censor of the Henan Circuit, and Chief Supervising Censor. In 1908 he was appointed prefect of Jinzhou. He retired at sixty and wrote works including Jianshu Xian Notes (also known as Jili Qingtan) and Unofficial Gleanings of the Late Qing. His extant writings are considerable, with 154 titles held in our collection, many drawing on folk literature and Eastern philosophy. They touch on modern upheavals such as the militia conflicts, the Boxer movement, and the Nian rebels, as well as rural tales and social types like foxes and swindlers, and social issues such as Manchu-Han differences, bearing the documentary flavor of note-style historiography. Public information is limited, and his literary standing and influence await further study.