Niu Tingzhang, a cloth merchant from Jiangxi, married a woman named Zheng, and they had two children, a boy and a girl. Niu Chengzhang died suddenly of illness when he was thirty-two, leaving behind his son Niu Zhong, who was only twelve, and his daughter who was eight or nine. His wife proved unfaithful, absconded with the family fortune, and remarried elsewhere. Left as orphans, survival was precarious, but fortunately, the paternal aunt, being a kind-hearted woman, took in Niu Zhong and his sister, caring for them diligently.

The aunt was over sixty, lived in poverty, and was a widow; she passed away just a few years later. As Niu Zhong grew older, he desired to continue his father's trade as a cloth merchant, but he lacked the necessary capital. His sister, having married the wealthy merchant Mao, managed to borrow several dozen taels of silver with her assistance.

Niu Zhong took this silver and headed to Jinling with a friend to seek his fortune. Halfway there, they encountered bandits who stripped them clean of their money. Left wandering alone, Niu Zhong one day arrived at a shop where the owner bore an uncanny resemblance to his own deceased father. He discreetly inquired about the man’s name, and it was identical to his father’s. Niu Zhong was astonished and lingered before the shop daily. Although the shop owner often noticed him, his demeanor remained distant, as if they were strangers.

Three days passed in this manner. The shop owner’s every gesture and speech pattern mirrored his father’s exactly. Longing to acknowledge their kinship, Niu Zhong offered his services unsolicited, presenting himself as a fellow townsman needing work in the shop. They signed a contract that meticulously detailed his place of origin, name, and age.

Upon seeing the contents of the contract, the shop owner’s expression flickered, and he asked, "Who is your father?" Niu Zhong told him truthfully, his voice catching with emotion. The shop owner looked lost for a moment, then asked with wistful sadness, "And how is your mother?" Niu Zhong dared not reveal his father’s death, replying instead, "My father went out to trade six years ago, and my mother remarried and left after that. My sister and I owe our survival to our aunt’s nurturing; otherwise, our bones would have long since been scattered."

The shop owner cried out tragically, "I am your father." The two clasped hands in sorrowful reunion. Niu Chengzhang guided his son to pay respects to his stepmother, whose surname was Ji, a woman in her thirties with no children of her own. Seeing Niu Zhong, she was overjoyed and immediately hosted a grand banquet.

From then on, Niu Zhong lodged in the shop, learning the ways of commerce from his father. Niu Tingzhang, however, remained melancholy day after day. After three months, seeing his son proficient in business, he proposed a trip back to their old hometown.

After Niu Tingzhang departed, Niu Zhong confided in Madam Ji, "Mother, I must tell you the truth; my real father has been dead for a long time. The person currently here is most likely a ghost." Madam Ji was greatly alarmed, saying, "Your father has been with me day and night for six years without the slightest hint of suspicion. How could he be a ghost?" Niu Zhong sighed and recounted the entire truth. Hearing this, Madam Ji was aghast, caught between terror and doubt.

The following night, Niu Tingzhang returned, holding a dishevelled woman by the hand—it was Niu Zhong’s birth mother, Zheng Shi. Niu Tingzhang’s face was contorted with rage; he gripped his wife's ear and cursed, "Vile woman, I don't blame you for remarrying, but why did you abandon your children?"

Zheng Shi trembled, collapsing to the ground, afraid to move. Niu Tingzhang opened his mouth and sank his teeth into his wife's neck. Shrieking in pain, Zheng Shi cried out, "Son, save me! Save me!" Seeing this, Niu Zhong’s heart broke. He rushed forward to intercede, using his body to separate his parents. Niu Tingzhang seethed with unresolved hatred, but in the next instant, Zheng Shi had vanished without a trace.

Everyone present was stunned, exclaiming, "We saw a ghost in broad daylight!" Looking again at Niu Tingzhang, they saw his face turn deathly pale, and suddenly, he dissolved into a cloud of black mist, his spirit dispersed, leaving behind only a few pieces of clothing and headwear. Niu Zhong was both shocked and deeply saddened. He quietly gathered his father's remnants and buried them, constructing a cenotaph containing only his garments.

Later, Niu Zhong inherited his father’s business, and his ventures prospered until he amassed a vast fortune. One time, visiting his sister in the village, he learned from the local people that his birth mother had actually been punished to death by Niu Tingzhang.