Ma Yong, a native of Shandong, possessed a greedy and roguish nature. After losing his entire fortune, the villagers scorned him, secretly referring to him as the "Starving Ghost." Ma Yong was in his early thirties, living in abject poverty, lacking adequate clothing and food, and was forced to resort to begging on the streets. The common folk, disgusted by his actions, refused to offer him aid.

Fellow villager Old Man Zhu, who had left home in his youth to seek a living with his wife, having engaged in everything from stealing chickens to petty theft, had now returned to his roots in old age, dedicating himself solely to good deeds.

One day, Ma Yong attempted to steal food from a tavern and was discovered by an employee, who beat him severely. Old Man Zhu, pitying his suffering, immediately interceded on his behalf. He took Ma Yong home, gave him several hundred copper coins, and urged him to start a legitimate business.

Ma Yong accepted the money but did not reform. He spent his days idly, consuming his funds without lifting a finger to work. Soon, the coins were gone. Too ashamed to face Old Man Zhu again, he secretly fled to a neighboring county to wander aimlessly. That winter night, Ma Yong lodged in a schoolhouse. Cold and lacking firewood, he spotted a statue of the Sage in the room. In desperation, he took the wooden plank from the statue’s head, lit it, and warmed himself by the blaze. When the Academic Prefect learned of this sacrilege, he was furious, loudly threatening torture. Ma Yong pleaded desperately, saying, "Do not beat me; I will find a way to make money for you."

The Prefect’s anger instantly turned to delight, and he released Ma Yong immediately. Ma Yong went that very night to the home of a wealthy man, proactively provoking him and demanding money. The rich man was enraged and prepared to teach Ma Yong a harsh lesson, but Ma Yong suddenly produced a sharp knife and deliberately mutilated his own limbs. He then falsely accused the wealthy man of assault. The case was tried by the Academic Prefect himself, who seized the opportunity for blackmail. To avoid further trouble, the rich man had no choice but to swallow his fury and pay to avert disaster.

The scholars at the schoolhouse heard of the incident and were indignant, flocking to the county yamen to file a complaint. The County Magistrate accepted the case. After a thorough interrogation, he sentenced Ma Yong to forty heavy strokes with a plank, fitted him with a cangue, and imprisoned him. Unable to endure the punishment, Ma Yong died within three days.

That night, Old Man Zhu dreamt that Ma Yong came to him, clad in the ceremonial hat and robes of an official, telling him, "I have failed to repay your kindness, Master; I can only hope to do so in the next life." Upon waking, he found his concubine had given birth to a male infant. Old Man Zhu knew instantly that this was Ma Yong reincarnated, and so he named the child Ma'er.

Ma'er was dull-witted and mediocre in aptitude. In his early twenties, with the help of his father, Old Man Zhu, he managed to enter the county school to study. Once, while preparing for the imperial examinations and staying at an inn, Ma'er noticed an essay titled "The Nature of the Dog" inscribed on the wall. The language was profound, and seized by a sudden impulse, he read the piece repeatedly, memorizing it completely.

On the day of the examination, the test question turned out to be exactly "The Nature of the Dog." Ma'er answered the paper based solely on his memory and earned a superior ranking. At the age of sixty, he traveled to a neighboring county to serve as a Proctor. He held this official post for several years, yet he had not a single friend by his side. Ma'er conducted his affairs prioritizing silver above all else, showing no clemency based on sentiment. While managing the students, he frequently used opportunities to accept bribes, making himself widely disliked. When he reached seventy, Ma'er’s beard had turned completely white, and he sought various prescriptions everywhere to darken his hair.

A certain reckless student crushed some madder root and presented it to Ma'er as a cure. Ma'er ground the madder root into a paste and smeared it onto his beard. The next morning, upon looking in the mirror, his beard was bright red, like blood, closely resembling the fierce expression of a temple guardian spirit. Ma'er knew he had been tricked by the student, and his rage was uncontrollable. He flew into a fury, dispatching men to seize the student for punishment, but the student had already fled under the cover of night.

Ma'er returned empty-handed, his frustration building into a stifling melancholy. He remained sullen and depressed for months, and then he died.