Gan Yu, courtesy name Biren, hailed from Luling. His parents died young, leaving behind a younger brother named Gan Jue, courtesy name Shuangbi, who was only five at the time, and whom Gan Yu raised as if he were his own child. Gan Yu was naturally affectionate, treating his brother with the devotion one would give a son. As Gan Jue grew, he became strikingly handsome with exceptional scholarly talent. Gan Yu doted on him, often remarking, "My brother possesses such an extraordinary bearing; I must find him a suitable wife."

One day, as Gan Yu was reading in a temple, he suddenly overheard the voices of women outside. Moving closer to the window, he saw three or four young ladies seated on the ground in the courtyard, all of them exquisite beauties. One inquired, "Miss Qin, why hasn't your cousin Ah Ying come?" The young woman surnamed Qin replied, "She returned from Hangu Pass yesterday, struck by an evil man’s arrow. Her right arm is wounded, so she couldn't join our outing, and she is quite miserable about it."

A third woman said, "I had a terrible nightmare last night; I still feel the dread even now." Miss Qin waved her hand dismissively, "Don't mention it, don't mention it. Our gathering tonight will only frighten everyone and bring unpleasantness if we discuss it." The woman laughed, "How can a young girl be so timid? If you don't wish to speak, that’s fine, but you must sing a tune to cheer us up."

Miss Qin bowed her head and sang: "Idle steps watch the peach blossoms bloom again, our outing yesterday should not be taken lightly. I entrust this to the young companions next door, do not urge me on; once I have fastened my phoenix-head shoes, I shall arrive." When the song ended, the entire group applauded. Amidst their pleasant conversation, a colossal brute suddenly burst in from outside, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s, his face savage. The women cried out, "A demon has come!" and scattered in a panic.

Miss Qin, physically frail, had barely run a few steps before the giant seized her. He bit off one of her fingers and devoured it with brute force. Miss Qin’s finger was grievously injured, the pain unbearable; she collapsed unconscious, her life hanging in the balance. Seeing this, Gan Yu was overcome with compassion. He swiftly drew his sharp sword and rushed forward to fight the giant. In the ensuing battle, Gan Yu’s speed and keen eyesight prevailed; with one stroke, he severed the giant’s left leg. The giant shrieked to the heavens and fled in agony.

Gan Yu helped Miss Qin into a bedchamber. Her face was pale, her robes stained with blood, and her right thumb was severed right to the root, the wound ceaselessly oozing fresh blood. Gan Yu paused briefly in thought, tore off a strip of cloth, and bound the injury. After a while, Miss Qin slowly woke, moaning, "Your great kindness—how can I ever repay it?" Gan Yu replied, "You possess outstanding beauty. I have a younger brother, unmarried. I wonder if you would be willing to marry him?"

Miss Qin said, "This lowly servant’s finger is damaged; I am unworthy of your brother. But rest assured, I shall find another fine lady for him." With that, she took her leave and departed.

One day, Gan Jue went for a stroll in the wilderness. En route, he encountered a maiden, about fifteen or sixteen, radiating delicate grace, her eyes full of movement. She asked, "Are you the Second Young Master of the Gan family?" Gan Jue nodded, "Indeed." The maiden continued, "When your father was alive, he arranged a marriage contract with my family, promising me to you. Why have you broken that covenant and instead become engaged to Miss Qin?"

Gan Jue replied, "I was very young at the time; I have no memory of that engagement. Please tell me about your family, young lady, and I will inquire with my elder brother when I return; I will know the truth then." The maiden said, "No need to inquire. All you need do is nod your assent, and you may marry me." Gan Jue shook his head, "Without my brother's permission, I dare not make decisions on my own." The maiden laughed, "Silly fellow, are you that afraid of your brother? Let me tell you the truth: my surname is Lu, and I live in Wang Village on the East Mountain. I will await news from you within three days." She bid farewell and left.

When Gan Jue returned home, he mentioned the matter to his brother. Gan Yu scoffed, "Nonsense. When Father passed, I was already over twenty. If such a thing had happened, how could I not remember it? Furthermore, this woman travels alone in the wild and actively engages strange men; I suspect she is not from a respectable family. Tell me, what does she look like?"

Hearing this, Gan Yu blushed deeply and lowered his head, remaining silent. His sister-in-law smiled, "She must be quite a beauty." Gan Yu retorted, "A child like him cannot distinguish beauty from ugliness. Even if she is beautiful, she certainly won't surpass Miss Qin. If negotiations with Miss Qin do not work out, we can consider her later."

Several days later, Gan Yu was out on business and encountered a woman of peerless looks walking while weeping. Upon inquiring as to the cause, the woman said, "My parents promised me to the Second Young Master of the Gan family; because my family was poor, we relocated to another region and haven't communicated in years. Who would have thought that upon returning, the Gan family would go back on their agreement? I am going to the Gan residence now to confront Elder Brother Gan Biren and ask how he intends to settle this with me."

Gan Yu was both startled and delighted, exclaiming, "I am Gan Biren. I truly know nothing of my late father's betrothal agreement. My humble residence is nearby; please come in for some tea and we can discuss the matter at length. By the way, what is your surname, young lady?"

The woman replied, "My name is Ah Ying. I have no relatives save for a cousin, Miss Qin, with whom I reside."

The woman then arrived at the Gan residence, and the two parties set a wedding date; they would be married within days. Gan Yu, seeing his sister-in-law's beauty, was genuinely happy for his brother. Yet, amidst his joy, he worried that Ah Ying might be frivolous in nature. Fortunately, Ah Ying was demure and reserved. After the marriage, she was articulate and kind, treating her elder sister-in-law like a mother, making no errors whatsoever.

That year, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the couple was enjoying themselves when the sister-in-law suddenly sent a servant to invite Ah Ying to a gathering. Gan Jue had intended to revel intimately with his wife, so he felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing the news. Ah Ying guessed his feelings and told the messenger, "I will follow shortly; you may return first."

After the servant left, Ah Ying sat calmly, chatting and laughing with her husband. Gan Jue urged, "Don't make your sister-in-law wait anxiously; you should go." Ah Ying smiled faintly but did not rise, spending the entire evening by Gan Jue's side.

The next morning, Ah Ying finished dressing, and her sister-in-law came to check on her, saying, "We talked heart-to-heart last night, why were you so melancholy?" Ah Ying offered a faint smile without confirming or denying anything. Gan Jue was perplexed, "She stayed with me last night, never leaving my side. When did she go to your house, Sister-in-law?"

The sister-in-law was greatly alarmed. She looked intently at Ah Ying, stammering, "Are you a demon? Otherwise, how could you possess the art of splitting into two bodies? If this is true, please leave immediately and do not harm my little brother-in-law." Ah Ying sighed, "In truth, I am not human. I only married into the Gan family because my cousin persuaded me. Since you have doubts, Sister-in-law, I shall take my leave now." With that, she transformed into a parrot and flew gracefully away.

In the past, when the elder Mr. Gan was alive, the family kept a parrot which he personally fed. At that time, Gan Jue was only four or five and asked, "Why keep a parrot?" Old Mr. Gan would laugh, "To be your wife." Sometimes when the parrot lacked food, Old Mr. Gan would tell his son, "Aren't you going to feed the parrot? Your wife is starving to death!" Later, the parrot snapped its chain and vanished.

Recalling these past events, Gan Jue finally understood: Ah Ying was that very parrot. Though he knew she was not human, his longing for her day and night was intense and inescapable. Two years later, his elder brother and sister-in-law arranged a marriage for Gan Jue with a Miss Jiang. Miss Jiang was plain in appearance, and Gan Jue was deeply dissatisfied.

The Gan family had a cousin who held an official post in Guangdong. Gan Yu went there to visit and had been gone for a long time. At this juncture, bandits rose up in the village, devastating half the neighboring settlements. Gan Jue was terrified and fled with his sister-in-law and the entire household to seek refuge in a mountain valley.

On the mountain, men and women mingled, none knowing the others. Gan Jue was consumed by worry until he heard a woman speaking softly, her tone strikingly similar to Ah Ying's. Approaching closely, he saw that it was indeed her. Gan Jue was overcome with joy, tightly grasping Ah Ying’s arm, unwilling to let go. He said, "Sister-in-law is nearby; she misses you terribly. I... I miss you too." Ah Ying smiled gently, "This is no place of ease, nor is it a proper place for conversation. Let us return home first."

Gan Jue protested, "The village is plagued by bandits; how can we go back?" Ah Ying said calmly, "With me here, there is no need to worry." The group returned to the house. Ah Ying gathered some earth, formed it into an arrow, and stuck it outside the door, instructing them, "Stay inside these few days; do not go anywhere, and you will be safe." With that, she turned to leave.

The sister-in-law caught her wrist, refusing to let her go. She then ordered two maids to hold Ah Ying's feet. Ah Ying had no choice but to remain. However, she maintained propriety and ceased sharing the marital bed with Gan Jue. Gan Jue, unable to bear the loneliness, pleaded ceaselessly, and Ah Ying reluctantly made an exception occasionally.

One day, the sister-in-law said to Ah Ying, "Sister-in-law Jiang has such an ordinary appearance; she has been neglected for so long. Is there any way to remedy this?" Ah Ying laughed, "Clothes make the person, and cosmetics perfect the woman; this is easily managed." The next morning, Ah Ying went to Miss Jiang’s room and attended to her grooming—applying powders, painting brows, and coloring lips. In an instant, Miss Jiang was transformed, appearing as a peerless beauty.

The sister-in-law was amazed and said, "I have a maidservant who is terribly ugly; can she also be made beautiful?" Ah Ying replied, "Why not? It just requires a bit more effort." The sister-in-law was overjoyed and immediately summoned the maid. She was large, coarse, dark, and ugly—quite frightening to behold. Ah Ying ordered her to wash her face clean, then applied a salve. After three consecutive days, the maid's skin turned from black to yellow, and after seven more days, from yellow to white. Her appearance improved; though not astonishingly gorgeous, she was certainly graceful and lovely.

That night, noise erupted outside—shouts, neighing horses; the bandits were pillaging and slaughtering, burning houses. The entire village, save for Gan Jue’s family, was annihilated. Having survived the calamity, the family’s respect for Ah Ying grew even deeper. Ah Ying stated, "Sister-in-law showed me great care in the past; I came this time precisely to repay that kindness. Now that the bandits have gone, and Elder Brother will return soon, it is time for me to depart. Remaining here would be improper. I will visit you again when I have the chance."

The sister-in-law asked anxiously, "Will nothing happen to your elder brother-in-law?" Ah Ying assured her, "He might encounter misfortune recently, but Cousin Qin once benefited from his kindness; she will certainly lend aid. Do not worry." With that, she vanished.

Gan Yu returned from Guangdong. Midway through his journey, he encountered bandits. He and his servants abandoned their horses and fled, hiding deep within a thicket of thorns. The bandits searched everywhere, closing in, and the situation became desperate. Just then, a mynah bird flew down from the sky, spreading its wings to blot out the sun, covering the two men completely. After searching fruitlessly for a while, the bandits cursed and left. Gan Yu peered closely and noticed the mynah bird was missing a toe on one leg. He found this peculiar. Upon returning home and mentioning it to his wife, he finally understood: the mynah bird was Miss Qin.

Afterward, whenever Gan Yu went out, Ah Ying would visit his sister-in-law, but she always kept it secret from Gan Jue. Sometimes, when she ran into him unexpectedly, she would merely smile and pay him little attention. Gan Jue begged to share her bed, but Ah Ying refused. One night, Ah Ying visited again, and Gan Jue forcibly took hold of her, carrying her to the bedchamber. Ah Ying pleaded, "Our karmic bond is exhausted. Forcing intimacy now will only invite heavenly punishment. I beg you, Young Master, consider my words; do not press me, so that we may meet again in the future." Gan Jue ignored her, reaching out to unfasten her garments, and the two rekindled their old affection.

The next day, Ah Ying went to pay respects to her sister-in-law, who asked, "Why didn't I see you last night?" Ah Ying laughed, "I was waylaid by robbers halfway, I apologize for making you wait in vain." After a brief exchange, she took her leave. Soon after, a cat's meow sounded from outside the door. A civet cat sauntered brazenly across the corridor, a parrot dangling from its mouth. The sister-in-law was utterly horrified, crying out loudly. The maids rushed forward, chasing the civet away and rescuing the parrot.

The sister-in-law placed the parrot on her lap, seeing that its left wing was drenched in blood and it was gasping for breath, filling her with shock and pain. She gently massaged the parrot's body, helping to clear its meridians. After a while, the parrot opened its eyes and revived, meticulously preening its feathers with its beak. Moments later, it circled into the air and spoke: "Sister-in-law, farewell. Gan Jue has wronged me; how I hate him!" With a beat of its wings, it departed and never showed itself again.