Li Chunlai was drenched by the rain, every inch of him soaked through. He stared at the half-burnt, broken coffin, his heart doing a frantic drumbeat in his chest. This was heaven-sent! The fire hadn't completely ruined whatever was inside; he had to seize the chance now if he wanted to retrieve it.

But the rest of the villagers had already left. They had been waiting for rain for so long, and now there was much preparation to be done. Out here in the desolate wilderness, Li Chunlai was completely alone, and the thought of the strange female corpse inside the coffin made a genuine shiver of fear run down his spine.

Yet, the thought of trading the gold and jewelry for cash, enough to finally marry a plump wife, dissolved Li Chunlai’s hesitation. He lifted the hoe with both hands, using the blade to pry at the coffin lid. Since the rotten wood had already been charred by the fire, forcing the lid open required little effort. After just a few thrusts, he shoved the broken planks aside.

Earlier, when the villagers were opening the coffin, Li Chunlai had only managed to squeeze into the crowd for a quick glance, not daring to look too closely. Now, in order to snatch some of the valuables from the female corpse, he had to steel his nerves and force himself to look inside.

The horrific stench from the coffin had mostly dissipated, but combined with the scorch marks from the fire and the soaking rain, the odor of decay, dampness, and char created an indescribably strange and foul miasma. Even the downpour couldn't suppress the awful smell emanating from the casket.

Li Chunlai felt a sharp pain throbbing in his temples from the fumes. Pinching his nose, he endured it and peered into the partially burnt coffin. If only he hadn't looked; once he did, he could hold back no longer. He threw open his mouth and vomited violently.

Seeing that the rain was intensifying and dusk was falling fast, he knew he had to act or it would be too late. Li Chunlai wiped the filth from his mouth, focused on a gold bracelet around the corpse’s wrist, and was just reaching out to pull it off when suddenly, a heavy slap landed on his back.

The blow startled Li Chunlai so badly he nearly wet himself, instantly assuming it was thunder striking, or perhaps a reanimated corpse rising from the nearby graves. Tales of Jiangshi (hopping vampires) were common in their region, and he never thought he’d actually encounter one.

When he spun around, however, it wasn't a ghoul standing there, but his neighbor, Ma Shun. This Ma Shun was notorious throughout the village as Ma Dadan (Ma the Bold). He was broad and powerfully built, possessing a frame that suggested immense strength. There was nothing under heaven he dared not attempt, and coupled with his foul temper—he never held back when hitting someone—few villagers ever dared provoke him.

Ma Dadan had spotted the jewelry on the female corpse earlier and immediately conceived the wicked idea of claiming it for himself. When there were too many people around, he couldn’t act. Then, when the village chief ordered Li Chunlai to burn the coffin, Ma Dadan dropped the thought and headed home. Not long after he arrived home, the heavy rain began. Ma Dadan realized: Heaven was aiding him! Perhaps the coffin hadn't been completely destroyed yet. Seizing the moment when no one was watching, he slipped back out to the site.

Ma Dadan didn't bother exchanging pleasantries with the good-for-nothing Li Chunlai. He efficiently stripped the jewelry and clothing from the female corpse piece by piece, bundled the loot into a small sack, and began humming a jaunty tune as he prepared to leave, only to find Li Chunlai squatting nearby, staring at him with covetous eyes.

Ma Dadan warned Li Chunlai not to breathe a word of this to anyone, threatening to toss him into a ditch to feed the wolves if he did. He then rummaged through his sack and pulled out a shoe he’d pried from the corpse’s foot, tossing it to Li Chunlai as hush money.

Holding that single shoe, Li Chunlai felt a burning rage inside, but he dared not offend Ma Dadan. He swallowed his pride and reluctantly agreed. By now, the coffin was thoroughly soaked by the rain; it was impossible to burn. The two men then began working together, digging a pit nearby and burying the entire coffin within it.

Back in the village, they informed the village chief and the blind man that they had followed orders and burned the coffin along with the body. The blind man nodded, satisfied, and declared, "That is good. I once heard my Master speak of dealing with Han Gu Zhuang (Dry Bone Stakes). If a newly interred corpse is placed in an unfavorable spot, it can turn into a Jiangshi. And Jiangshi can easily transform into a Han Ba (Drought Demon). These droughts are all caused by Han Ba. Though I, the blind man, cannot see, I understand things clearly in my heart. Hearing you speak of the coffin and the body within, I knew it was unusual. Perhaps this ancient corpse was pregnant when she died, and the child was born after burial. If the child was buried alive, how could it live? It naturally died too. And a child who becomes a Han Ba is even more ferocious. This pair, mother and child, have both turned into Jiangshi, known as Zi Mu Xiong (Mother-Son Fierce Ones), extremely powerful. Now that they are ashes, they cannot harm anyone."

The more Li Chunlai listened, the more his stomach knotted, but fearing punishment from the village chief if he revealed the truth, he could only offer vague agreements and then went home to sleep.

That night, lying on his heated brick bed (kang), he tossed and turned, unable to sleep well. Every time he closed his eyes, he dreamt of the female corpse and her son gripping his throat, waking in a cold sweat.

The rain didn't stop all night. As morning approached, he heard a commotion outside. Li Chunlai hastily threw on his clothes and rushed out to see what was happening.

It turned out to be Ma Dadan’s house. Ma Dadan, his wife, and their two children—the entire family of four—had all been eviscerated. Intestines were strewn everywhere across the ground, and all four hearts were missing.

Li Chunlai thought instantly: This is bad. That female corpse probably chewed up the hearts of Ma Dadan’s entire family. Maybe tonight she’ll come for mine. What am I going to do? He was timid by nature, and the more he thought, the more terrified he became. A chill ran down his spine, and he could hold it in no longer; he completely soiled himself right there in his trousers.

Just then, the villagers discovered a completely naked female corpse lying in a pile of dry grass next to Ma Dadan’s house. This corpse had a complexion as rosy as if she were still alive, and her fingernails were incredibly long, like steel hooks. Most peculiar were her feet: unlike the broad, flat feet of a typical country woman, they were the tiny, three-inch bound feet of ancient women. These small feet were also covered in fine, downy hair and were remarkably hard; looking only at her lower limbs, one might mistake them for the hooves of some animal.

The female corpse that Li Chunlai and Ma Dadan had buried in the pit last night was withered and purplish. This new corpse looked as if she had just died, with traces of blood still clinging to her mouth. Had she turned this way after consuming the organs of living people?

Such a catastrophic event—a whole family slaughtered—shocked the local Public Security Bureau into action. They interrogated every person in the village almost meticulously, but the matter was too bizarre. Furthermore, the fact that the village chief and the blind man had organized the Han Gu Zhuang ritual meant they were heavily involved in superstitious activities. None of the villagers could offer a clear explanation. Even if they knew the truth, they couldn't speak it; and if they did, who would believe them? It was safer to keep quiet to avoid implicating themselves. In the end, the police had no choice but to transport the small-footed female corpse away for examination and seal the scene. For the time being, the case became a cold one.

The village chief privately scolded Li Chunlai several times, urging him to keep his mouth shut and bury the matter deep within himself. Though Li Chunlai usually appeared meek, he was quite resolute underneath. He never told anyone about the single embroidered shoe he had kept. After all, even if the female corpse was a Jiangshi, the police had taken her away for dissection, and Ma Dadan was dead. He managed to shift all the blame onto Ma Dadan, claiming Ma Dadan had forced him to participate. Since Li Chunlai was habitually timid, the villagers believed him and dropped the matter, concluding that Ma Dadan’s family death was a consequence of his own greed.

Li Chunlai dared not show the embroidered shoe to anyone. Although uneducated, he knew that shoe was an artifact from a previous dynasty. All his hopes of marrying a wife rested on that single shoe. Grave robbing was rampant in Shaanxi province, and the trade in cultural relics was booming. Outsiders frequently visited the village seeking old items. Because Li Chunlai was timid and wanted to keep a low profile, he hadn't dared to sell it.

This continued until one day, a distant relative in a neighboring county, who transported goods to Beijing, offered Li Chunlai a ride. After much pleading, he hitched a ride to Beijing. He inquired around and found that the Panjiayuan area dealt in antiques, so he asked for directions and found his way there. As fate would have it, the very first person he approached when asking about purchasing antiques turned out to be me.

Li Chunlai presented a façade of simple-minded weakness, but underneath lurked a barely perceptible cunning. He drank several beers until his face was flushed and his neck was thick with blood. Fueled by the alcohol, he recounted the history of the embroidered shoe. He glossed over certain parts, his vocabulary meager, and at times his meaning was muddled, but I managed to grasp about eight or nine-tenths of his story.

I said to Li Chunlai, "The provenance of your shoe is indeed quite convoluted. I’ve taken a look; this sandalwood-soled, fragrant embroidered shoe is quite fine. It’s rare to see an embroidered shoe from several hundred years ago preserved this well. I’ve handled a few pairs before; the satin fabric had turned to tree bark. However…"

Li Chunlai grew extremely nervous, fearing I would say the shoe wasn't valuable. He quickly asked, "Boss, just how much is this shoe worth?"

I adopted a helpless expression and ground my teeth slightly, saying, "My friend, if this shoe had a pair, it would be worth something. But having only one..."

(Many thanks for the votes. See the side-story preview for the next update time.)