Explore the eerie tales of Mr. Li's residence in Changshan County, where mysterious and supernatural events unfold.
Mr. Li from Changshan County is the nephew of the Grand Judge. Strange things often happen in his residence. Once, he saw a long, reddish bench in the room, which was smooth and shiny. Since he had never seen this item before, Mr. Li approached and touched it with his hand. The bench began to bend and curve along with his touch, almost as soft as flesh. Startled, he quickly left. When he looked back shortly after, the bench moved on four legs and slowly disappeared into the wall. Another time, Mr. Li saw a white stick leaning against the wall, smooth and slender. As he approached and touched it, the stick turned soft and wiggled like a snake, disappearing into the wall in no time.
In the 17th year of Kangxi’s reign, there was a scholar named Wang Junsheng who opened a tutoring school at the Li family’s residence, teaching young students. One evening, just as the lamp was lit, Wang Junsheng lay on his bed, wearing his shoes, to rest. Suddenly, he saw a small figure, just over three inches tall, walking in from the outside. It took a brief stroll on the floor before walking back out. Not long after, the small figure returned carrying two tiny benches, placing them in the middle of the room. The benches looked like toys made from sorghum stalks by children. After a while, two more small figures brought in a coffin measuring about four inches in length, placing it on the benches. Before it could be properly settled, a woman entered with a few stout maids, all of them as short as the small figures who had arrived earlier. The woman was dressed in mourning attire, with a hemp cord tied around her waist and white cloth wrapped around her head. She covered her mouth with her sleeve and cried, making a “yinyin” sound that resembled a large fly buzzing. Wang Junsheng, who had been secretly watching, couldn’t help but feel his hair stand on end, and his whole body grew as cold as if it had been touched by severe frost. He called out loudly, trying to get up in a hurry, but ended up falling under the bed, trembling uncontrollably and unable to climb out. People from the tutoring school heard his cries and rushed over, but the small figures, the coffin, and the benches in the room had all disappeared.
《宅妖》
长山李公，大司寇之侄也。宅多妖异。尝见厦有春凳，肉红色，甚修润。李以故无此物，近抚按之，随手而曲，殆如肉耎。骇而却走。旋回视，则四足移动，渐入壁中。又见壁间倚白梃，洁泽修长。近扶之，腻然而倒，委蛇入壁，移时始没。
康熙十七年，王生俊升设帐其家。日暮，灯火初张，生着履卧榻上。忽见小人，长三寸许，自外入，略一盘旋，即复去。少顷，荷二小凳来，设堂中，宛如小儿辈用粱秸心所制者。又顷之，二小人舁一棺入，仅长四寸许，停置凳上。安厝未已，一女子率厮婢数人来，率细小如前状。女子衰衣，麻绠束腰际，布裹首，以袖掩口，嘤嘤而哭，声类巨蝇。生睥睨良久，毛森立，如霜被于体。因大呼，遽走，颠床下，摇战莫能起。馆中人闻声毕集，堂中人物杳然矣。