In the Qiandao era a certain official of Jiangxi went to the capital for a posting, and touring West Lake, tired from walking alone, rested at a commoner’s house by the road. He saw a girl with double looped knots inside, dazzlingly beautiful, and did not stop looking at her; she also looked back and sent her feelings.
The official was lost in longing, and after that went often, and she always came out to meet him, smiling and close, and when he teased her with light words she showed no shame or refusal. But he could not get a moment’s pleasure with her.
Once he had his posting he went to say goodbye, and she took the chance to speak privately: “Since I met you we have given each other our hearts. I was going to go west with you. My parents will certainly not allow it. To elope and satisfy my will — I could not bear to make people toil over me night and day in their sleep. What is to be done?”
The official asked his parents, tempting them with heavy payment, and they firmly refused.
After he got home there was no more news of her. Five years later he went again for a posting and hurried to find the old place, but it was gone and he could see nothing, and he returned empty and disappointed.
Then he met her halfway. Though her years and looks had grown, her manner was more lovely than ever. He called and greeted her, and she said: “So long apart. Have you forgotten me?”
He was delighted and asked why she had moved.
She said: “I married long ago. I live in such-and-such lane in the city. My husband is in prison on a treasury matter for the time being, so I have come out to beg help, and did not expect to meet an old friend. Could you come to me and take tea?”
He gladly walked with her, and after two li or so she pointed out his inn and asked to be at leisure there, and he went to bed with her. His inn was in a remote spot with no other guests, and she said: “This is a place to stay. There is no need to go to my house.” So hand in hand they entered the room, and he stayed half a year.
She no longer looked after her own house, and went out occasionally, and made not the smallest demand on him; nor did he remember she had a husband, and never asked.
When he was about to return they discussed taking her with him, and only then she frowned and gathered her lapels and said:
“Since you left I could not bear the pain of remembering you, and pined away into illness. I died within the year. The body you have now is not a person. Bound by a former life’s affinity, a ghost has followed you. The season of joy has an end, and there will be no second union. I was afraid you would be suspicious, so I have told you in detail. But the yin breath has entered you deeply and you will have a violent flux. You should only take the Pingwei Powder to secure your blood and essence.”
He was shocked and sorry for a long while, and then said: “I once read the Yijian Zhi and saw that Sun Jiuding met a ghost and took this medicine too. I thought: the ingredients are all mild. How could the effect be like this?”
She said: “Among them, cangzhu expels evil qi and is of the highest grade. Only do as I say.”
Then she wept. That night they slept as usual, and at dawn she wept bitterly and they parted.
He had a violent flux and took the medicine, doing exactly as she had said. Afterwards he told people, and was still miserable.
