Ma Sandao married his first wife when he was twenty. By the time he was twenty-one, his first wife had died. Word had it that the young woman had suffered from coughing blood even when she was living with her parents, but her family kept it tightly guarded. Back then, the notion of "dating" wasn't common. For poor families, there was no need to hire a matchmaker; they simply came to terms directly, agreed upon the bride price, and that was that—one married, one wed. Everyone was content. As it turned out, Ma Sandao felt cheated; he had paid over a hundred silver pieces only to bring home a sickly wife. The frustration he felt was indescribable.

Ma Sandao had been a heavy gambler since childhood, the kind who’d bet on the sex of an ant if he could find someone to take the wager. With a wife whose serious illness couldn't be cured at home, the man grew agitated, feeling, in modern terms, a significant psychological imbalance. He took to frequenting the gambling dens. When his wife died, Ma Sandao figured he was finally free. But then rumors began to circulate: that Ma Sandao had gambled away the money meant for his wife’s medical treatment, and that she had lingered and died because she lacked funds for care.

Ma Sandao was furious, incensed! Once a man was tainted by such gossip, finding a decent wife afterward became nearly impossible. He was unwilling to purchase a daughter from families fleeing hardship, even though they were cheap. But Ma De had said, if they couldn't even communicate verbally, how could they build a life together? By today's standards, this showed he was a good man, aware of the importance of spousal communication.

As a result, he stayed home for several years, and suddenly Ma Sandao was twenty-six, and there was still no sign of a wife. While he was agonizing at home, Zhang Tuzi, the town's butcher, personally came to propose, offering his beautiful twenty-year-old daughter to him. His sincerity and polite demeanor moved Ma Sandao so much that he almost knelt down to call him "Father-in-law" right then and there. Just as he was about to agree, he caught sight of Zhang Tuzi’s imposing, massive frame—easily twice the size of an average man—and the chair beneath his weight, which was creaking and begging for mercy. A tremor ran through Ma Sandao’s heart.

He managed to utter only one sentence: "Allow me a few days to consider!"

Ma Sandao didn't take a few days; the very next day, he rushed frantically to town. Zhang Tuzi had only one daughter, and Ma Sandao hadn't seen what she looked like. But given his own reputation, the fact that the family was initiating the proposal suggested that the looks of this Zhang girl were probably... Ma Sandao braced himself, thinking that as long as she wasn't the type whose mere presence upon waking in the dark could scare a man to death, he would accept her. After all, he wasn't exactly known for his virtue either.

Seeing that Zhang Tuzi had stepped out on some errand, Ma Sandao darted immediately to the butcher shop as soon as the man was gone: "Hey, Butcher Zhang, give me two pounds of pork head meat." From inside the shop, a girl's sweet voice chirped, "My dad’s out, why don't you wait a bit and come back later?"

Just hearing that voice made Ma Sandao's bones feel weak and ready to snap. Then, a delicate, beautiful face appeared behind the door. Ma De's brain buzzed, blood rushing to his head, with only one thought: "This definitely wasn't born to Zhang Tuzi; this absolutely isn't Zhang Tuzi’s daughter. Exquisite! So exquisite!!" Just as Ma Sandao stood silently by the pork stall, momentarily lost to who he was, what day it was, or whose daughter this exquisite creature might be, he suddenly heard Zhang Tuzi’s voice not far away. Startled, he bolted as if his feet were greased.

"Hey, my dad’s back, why did you leave again so quickly?" Zhang Tuzi’s daughter looked puzzled, completely unaware that her prospective husband had just conducted an on-site inspection.

Ma Sandao went back near his home and made discreet inquiries among acquaintances, finally learning that the Zhang girl was named Zhang Zhaodi. When she was eighteen, she had gone to her aunt’s house to help with the rice harvest and was kidnapped by bandits from Hujia Mountain. When the ransom note arrived, Zhang Tuzi was stunned. Following the advice of those around him, he hurriedly gathered a few men from town and borrowed enough money from various neighbors to ransom his daughter. How could such a delicate, stunning girl remain unscathed after falling into a bandit lair? As Zhang Tuzi made his way up the mountain, the bandits were already preparing for a wedding; upon inquiry, he learned their leader intended to consummate the marriage with the Zhang girl that very night. Hearing this, Zhang Tuzi immediately burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. He pleaded, saying the girl’s mother had died young, and he had raised her through dirt and tears. He begged the great kings to release her, offering the money with both hands, adding that when the girl was small, a fortune teller had predicted that anyone who married her would meet with misfortune, claiming she carried the very image of a man-killer.

The bandit chief refused the ransom money, stating he would take her that very night, and threatened to shoot and bury every man present if Zhang Tuzi dared to fuss, declaring he wouldn't acknowledge him as a father-in-law. Just as Zhang Tuzi was on the verge of collapse, a massive volley of gunfire erupted from below the mountain. A messenger reported that the County's Liberation Army had arrived to suppress the bandits. Zhang Tuzi and the assembled men seized the opportunity during the chaos and managed to rescue Zhang Yun. The whole ordeal brought them back to town near noon. The bandits in the mountains were finally wiped out, but the Zhang family's life was ruined. The money borrowed on the mountain was lost in the confusion, devastating their finances. Everyone knew how bandits treated young women; the Zhang girl was now considered damaged goods in the eyes of the villagers—a worn-out shoe, trod upon by a thousand men and ten thousand women.

At that time, a girl’s reputation was more vital than her life. No one dared to speak definitively about whether the Zhang girl had suffered abuse in the mountains. But her subsequent multiple suicide attempts led people to speak the truth openly. Even the poorest folk adhered to that old sentiment: no matter how poor, one must never marry a disgraced woman!

Ma Sandao, however, paid this no mind; he certainly wasn't any paragon of virtue himself. Didn't they say rumors could ruin a person? Well, thanks to a rumor, he had managed to secure such a beautiful wife. Ma Sandao was so pleased these past two days that he burst out laughing in his sleep. When Butcher Zhang came to propose the third day, Ma Sandao was so delighted he started calling him "Old Man Zhang."

In those days, girls were not highly valued, so once the family elders made a decision, things moved swiftly. Less than three months later, Ma Sandao brought Zhang Zhaodi, the Zhang girl, into his home. Zhang Zhaodi had long since given up on dreams of talented scholars or beauties; seeing Ma Sandao's decent appearance and the fact that his family owned some land, she felt some willingness to accept him.

After they married, Ma Sandao treated Zhang Zhaodi with immense kindness and affection. In that rural household, he absolutely forbade her from working the fields; Ma Sandao took on all the labor himself. Despite his usual laziness and penchant for gambling, Ma De—now happily reformed—wore a smile that blossomed on his face no matter how tired he was. Soon, they had Ma Xiaoyan, who would become the village beauty and the girl coveted by Young Master Liu. In those days, the government encouraged larger families, unlike the current rigid family planning that demanded fees for extra children—so fussy! Furthermore, the patriarchal preference for sons remained strong in the countryside. So, after raising Ma Xiaoyan, the couple began thinking that while they were still able to manage, they should try to add a son to the family!

One evening, the couple was chatting intimately in bed. Zhang Zhaodi suddenly mentioned craving apricots, asking Ma Sandao to check the town the next day to see if any were being sold. Ma Sandao replied with a playful grin, "Of course, wife. If you wanted to eat the immortal peaches from the heavens, I'd find a way to steal them for you. But tell me, wife, why apricots? They’re so sour! Why don’t we get some peaches..."

Zhang Zhaodi gave him a sidelong glance. "Why ask so much? I just want apricots." Ma Sandao felt an overwhelming surge of affection and quickly agreed, "Fine, fine, sour apricots it is! I'll eat them with you; I’m willing to have my teeth ache for you!"

Zhang Zhaodi chuckled softly, "What would you eat them for?" Her face flushed, and she lowered her head. "De'er, I think... I might be pregnant..." Though her voice was low, Ma Sandao heard clearly.

"Pregnant with what?" Ma Sandao asked, confused. Then, understanding suddenly dawned, and he leaped off the bed with a shout, jumping nearly three feet high. "My good Yun’er, good Yun’er..." Overwhelmed with joy, the tears welled up in the big man's eyes. He quickly composed himself, saying, "I’ll go to the town market tomorrow; it’s huge, and I’ll buy the best apricots for my wife!" Zhang Zhaodi just smiled sweetly, watching her husband’s ecstasy. Ma Sandao was so elated he didn't sleep all night, cherishing his wife as the apple of his eye.

The next morning, he gave instructions to his wife, saying he'd be back the day after tomorrow, and urged Ma Xiaoyan to help look after the house. After breakfast, he shouldered his load and hurried off.

As previously mentioned, Xiushui Village was an "Economic Special Zone" of the rugged and poor sort. It was extremely far from the town. Even traveling by mule cart or tractor took several hours for a round trip, let alone walking. But Ma Sandao’s heart was light, and his steps felt easy. Before dusk, he reached the town, as it was nearly evening and the market was closing down. Ma Sandao hastily selected some fine apricots and bought some good patterned cloth. He thought that after so many years, they were practically an old married couple, and he hadn't bought her any nice clothes yet! Ignoring the cloth shop owner’s advice, he rushed back home that night, hoping to arrive by dawn. Bandits and Green Gang members had mostly been suppressed by then, so the roads were relatively safe.

In the ravine connecting the town to Xiushui Village, a middle-aged man wearing a single-shoulder leather coat hurried through the sparse grass.

It was Ma Sandao. He was naturally a man of immense courage, unconcerned with ghosts or supernatural haunts. It was close to midnight when he reached a place in the ravine called Black Stone Slope, rumored to be an old execution ground where the Liberation Army had shot the lawless members of the Green Gang. Ma Sandao felt no fear, humming a little tune as he walked. A crescent moon hung overhead, casting enough light around to make things reasonably visible. Along the roadside, strange trees sometimes appeared, their branches looking like grasping claws under the moonlight, frightening passersby. Faint noises occasionally drifted up from the valley nearby. After walking a bit further, he suddenly realized something was wrong. He had passed this way several times; after Black Stone Slope, he should have reached Xiaoming Dang (Dang: a relatively large lake). Why hadn't he reached it yet today? Such a large lake couldn't possibly be unseen. As he walked, the road ahead began to swim before his eyes, shimmering white, reflecting the moonlight like a mirror, dazzling him.

When one’s vision blurs, confusion follows. Ma Sandao started to feel drowsy. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound beside the road. He looked over and saw a donkey grazing by the roadside. Whether Ma Sandao hadn't paid attention or not, upon closer inspection, he realized that a mist had enveloped the area without him noticing—neither thick nor thin. It wasn't summer yet; there shouldn't have been any fog at night. Curious, Ma Sandao peered closely at the donkey and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Why? People owned donkeys and mules with saddles and bridles; even the ones not used for riding had halters! But this donkey had nothing on it. Yet, it didn't look like a wild donkey; didn't it have a white spot on its head? Thinking of this, he shivered violently. Wasn't this a paper donkey meant for the dead? They made paper horses for men and donkeys for women, and sedan chairs for officials. Paper artisans didn't bother with saddles and harnesses for the funerary beasts; they simply tied a white flower on the head. Though Ma Sandao usually didn't believe in spirits, his heart began to pound. Had he stumbled upon something wicked?

Ma Sandao held his breath, intending to sneak past the donkey. But as he brushed by, the donkey suddenly raised its head and looked at him. That glance hit Ma Sandao like a bucket of ice water thrown over him in the dead of winter. The donkey’s eyes were blood-red, fixed on him unmoving. Ma Sandao silently cursed, Damn it, I shouldn’t have walked at night; now I’ve run into this evil thing... He tried to quicken his pace, but the moment he lifted a foot, an icy chill pierced his body, rendering him unable to move a single step.

"Brother, what is in your carrying pole?" The mist grew thicker. Ma De looked up and saw that a heavily pregnant young woman was now sitting on the donkey's back. Her face was deathly pale, with a smear of bright rouge on one cheek. She was clad entirely in red, like a wedding dress. She radiated no warmth, looking exactly like a well-crafted paper effigy. At that moment, Ma Sandao lost control of his bladder and wet himself profusely, trembling uncontrollably even as he did so. The woman’s eyes rolled back, utterly devoid of human color, and she asked again, "Brother, why aren't you speaking? I asked what you are carrying in your pole?" Her voice was chilling, as if it had been steeped in icy water for a hundred years.

"It’s... it’s... apri...cots..." Ma Sandao’s legs shook as violently as if he were beating cotton fiber. He finally managed to wrestle his tongue into submission and speak the word.

"Then, Brother, could you let me taste one?" The woman's face flickered indistinctly in the mist. The donkey beneath her gradually began to show the texture of paper, slightly bloated as if it had been soaking in water for days. "Good... good..." Ma Sandao was truly brave; despite wetting himself, he remained standing—an absolute man of mettle. Any other person seeing this sight would have fainted long ago.

But Ma Sandao lacked the strength to move, hoping only that this young woman would take the apricot and leave. The young woman, however, spoke, "I am carrying a child; it’s inconvenient for me to get down. Brother, could you hand me one?" she requested. Ma Sandao was nearly weeping. Damn it, my wife just got pregnant, and now I run into this mess! What kind of fate is this! Yet, he dared not refuse. With trembling hands, he picked an apricot from his load and offered it. His hand shook so violently it resembled the late Elder Hu from the village who had suffered a stroke the year before. The apricot rolled around ceaselessly in his palm. The woman extended a deathly pale hand and took the fruit. When her icy fingers touched Ma Sandao’s palm, his cowardly bladder betrayed him again, and he urinated anew.

"Mmm, I haven't eaten one in a long time." The woman’s voice carried a deep sorrow. "Brother, thank you." Just as Ma Sandao felt he couldn't hold on any longer, he suddenly heard the sound of several people talking nearby—it sounded like someone was approaching! Relieved, the woman sighed, "Thank you, Brother, a fine apricot!" With that, the donkey turned around, the rustling sound continued, and its silhouette gradually vanished into the mist.

"Hey, brother, how did you end up in the water!" A man's voice reached his ears. Ma Sandao snapped back to reality, nearly fainting from the shock. He realized he had somehow wandered into water up to his waist. All around him shimmered with water. He looked toward the voices and saw three figures standing on the bank, watching him. Only then did he grasp the situation: this wasn't the road; it was a flooded lake!

"Oh, my heavens, my mother!" Ma Sandao scrambled out of the water, stepping deep then shallow, nearly slipping at the bank. Someone on the shore steadied him until he could stand. As Ma Sandao quickly pieced together what had happened, his legs gave out, and he sank to the ground. "My ancestors!"

One person on the shore asked, "Brother, were you perhaps bewitched by something?" Ma Sandao, squatting on the ground, replied, "Yes, if I hadn't run into you all, I probably wouldn't be alive right now." Recalling the event sent shivers down his spine. Another person asked, "Is this brother coming from town? Why are you traveling so late?"

Ma Sandao was filled with regret; he truly shouldn't have traveled at night. He recounted the entire incident. The three men were also frightened to the core. They introduced themselves: they were cousins—one named Li Er, one Li Daquan, and one Zhang Bao. Zhang Bao mentioned that he had seen that girl too; she looked just like Ah Lan from Xiushui Village, the one who ate chicken and duck organs, who was later dealt with by Village Head Tian. He wondered if this was her vengeful ghost. Seeing that the brother had regained his senses, he suggested they all travel together. Li Er added that it was hard for a man to travel alone so late at night. "We have a place to stop not far ahead where we arranged to visit someone. If you don't mind, Brother, rest there for the night and continue your journey in the morning." Ma Sandao, only just returned to the land of the living, dared not travel alone anymore and readily agreed.

The four men walked together, talking animatedly, making the journey feel lively. Not long after, they spotted two dilapidated thatched huts by the road, with a light still visible inside. The three men urged Ma Sandao to come with them, saying there were no beds, so they would just sit there for a while before continuing at dawn. Ma Sandao certainly didn't dare travel any further, so he gratefully accepted and went with them. Zhang Bao knocked a few times. "Old Man Yang, we've arrived." When the door opened, Old Man Yang looked out and said, "Why is there a stranger with you?" Li Daquan explained Ma Sandao's situation, and Ma Sandao repeatedly expressed his thanks. Old Man Yang then let all four inside.

While walking, he hadn't felt it, but now that he stopped, a deep chill settled in his bones, perhaps from getting wet. Ma Sandao removed his damp clothes. Old Man Yang brought out a set of Pai Gow tiles and a few dice. The four men gathered around a square table. The three companions were ready to gamble. Old Man Yang shook the dice, chanting the tiles, and the four quickly became deeply engrossed in the game.

This was like leeches hearing the sound of water or mosquitoes finding a boudoir. Ma Sandao instantly felt revitalized, casting aside the night's terrifying events. After marrying his wife, Ma Sandao had managed to settle down for over a decade, leaving his gambling behind. But now, the sound of the Pai Gow tiles scratching stirred an intense itch within him. He heard Old Man Yang chanting the tiles: "East Gate, black and red mixed, seven pair; my hand is dealt a fortunate eight, ha... eat..." That gravelly voice sounded as beautiful as heavenly music. He stretched his neck out like a duck being held by the throat, staring fixedly at the table.

Old Man Yang had noticed his condition long ago and spoke up, "Perhaps this brother is also interested in joining a round or two?"

In the past, Ma Sandao wouldn't have waited for an invitation; he would have swept the table clean by morning. Now, however, he could only swallow hard with a straight face and say, "To be honest, I know a thing or two about these games, but I spent all my money buying things today, so I'm afraid I don't have any to play with you all!"

The four men kept solemn expressions and stated, "This brother is certainly an honest man!"