marriage

Infatuated Ghost’s Love for His Wife

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吳鎮 《墨竹譜》冊 十幅

In the capital, there was an elderly woman who could see ghosts. She once told people, “I once saw a ghost at a certain family, utterly infatuated to the extreme. However, the situation was pitiful, evoking a poignant and touching feeling. The ghost’s name was unknown, residing in a certain village. The family was moderately well-off, and the ghost died at the age of around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. About a hundred days after his death, the deceased’s wife invited me to accompany her. 

Nine Husbands’ Grave

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《海棠蛺蝶圖頁》 宋

Outside the southern gate of Jurong County(句容), there lies a grave known as the Nine Husbands’ Grave. Legend has it that there was a woman, exceedingly beautiful. After her husband passed away, leaving behind a son, their household became very wealthy. So, she remarried and bore another son. The second husband also passed away and was buried beside the first husband. Later, she married a third time, yet this husband, like the others before him, met the same fate. 

Ghost Expelling Ghost

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《斗雀圖》 宋 佚名

In Tongcheng(桐城), there was a scholar named Zuo(左秀才) whose relationship with his wife, Zhang,(張氏) was exceptionally close. When Zhang fell ill and passed away, Zuo couldn’t bear to be separated from her. He spent every night sleeping beside her coffin. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, his family held a ceremony for the deceased, everyone praying and making offerings outside, leaving Zuo alone to read beside Zhang’s coffin.

Suddenly, a chilling wind arose, and a ghost, disheveled with blood dripping and dragging a rope, approached Zuo menacingly. 

Jiang Yilin

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🎨《墨荷圖》徐渭

Jiang Yilin(江軼林), a literati from Tongzhou(通州), had been living for generations in Lü Sichang(呂泗場) in Tongzhou. He married a woman named Peng, and their relationship was extremely deep. Peng had been married to Jiang Yilin for three years when he was just twenty years old and hadn’t yet passed the scholar examination.

One night, both husband and wife dreamt that Jiang Yilin would pass the scholar examination on a certain month and day of that year, while Peng would die on the same day. 

The White Rainbow Spirit

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part of 《桃源仙境圖》仇英 明

In Ding Shuiqiao(丁水橋), a town in Tangxi(塘西鎮), Zhejiang(浙江), there was a boatman named Ma Nanzhen(馬南箴). One night, he was paddling a small boat on the river. On the shore, there was an old lady with her daughter, signaling the boat, requesting passage. Several passengers on the boat advised Ma Nanzhen to ignore her and refuse to ferry the old lady. However, Ma Nanzhen said, ‘It’s late at night, and they are women without a place to stay. 

Kaxiong

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《秋景貨郎圖軸》佚名 明朝

Yang Kaxiong(楊喀雄)’s father served as a military officer but passed away early. His paternal uncle, Zhou, held the position of deputy general, stationed in Hezhou(河州). Feeling sympathetic for the young and orphaned Yang Kaxiong, he took him in and raised him. Zhou had a daughter who took a liking to the young and clever Kaxiong. She often gave him food. Despite their closeness, there was no impropriety between Zhou’s daughter and Kaxiong. 

The Matchmaking for Ghosts

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In the southern part(南鄉) of Nanjing’s Jiangpu(江浦), there was a woman surnamed Zhang who married a man named Chen. Seven years later, her husband passed away, leaving Zhang a widow. Struggling to make ends meet, she remarried to another Zhang with the same surname. This second Zhang had also been widowed for seven years. The matchmaker considered this coincidence to be a heaven-sent match.

Unexpectedly, just half a month after their marriage, the ghost of Zhang’s former husband possessed her and exclaimed, “You lack conscience! 

The Demon Bird Named Luo Sha

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During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng(雍正), a wealthy man in the capital arranged a marriage for his son. The bride’s family was also from a prestigious background, residing outside the Shahe Gate(沙河門).

As the bride rode in the bridal carriage, attendants and horses surrounded it. Passing by an ancient tomb, a fierce wind suddenly rose from the grave, swirling around the bridal carriage multiple times. The gusts of sand it raised made it impossible to keep one’s eyes open, causing pedestrians on the road to scatter. 

The Axe Cuts the Fox’s Tail

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In the prefecture of Hejian(河間府), there was a man surnamed Ding who neglected his proper duties, spending his days idling around. One time, Ding heard of a fox spirit causing mischief somewhere and decided to seek it out alone. He handed over his business card, expressing a desire to become sworn brothers with the fox immortal. That very night, the fox immortal indeed transformed into a human form and introduced himself as Brother Wu Qing. 

The Ghost Wearing Clothes Falls into a Trap

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In Shucheng County(舒城縣), Luzhou Prefecture(廬州府), there was a villager named Chen(陳姓者). His wife was suddenly haunted by a female ghost who sometimes strangled her throat with hands and other times tied her neck with straw ropes. No one around her could see the haunting ghost. Tormented and in agony, she frequently clawed at her clothes, pulling out many straw ropes.

Chen gave his wife a bundle of peach tree branches, saying, ‘If the female ghost returns, use these to strike her!’