Nie Xiaoqian (IV)
BackIn the morning, they found bloodstains outside the window. Ning Sheng left the temple and headed north, where he found an area of desolate graves and indeed saw a poplar tree with a crow's nest. Once the arrangements for moving the grave were made, Ning Sheng packed up to return home. Yan Sheng hosted a farewell banquet for him, expressing deep friendship, and gifted him a worn-out leather bag, saying, "This is a sword bag. Keep it well; it can ward off evil and ghosts." Ning Sheng expressed a desire to learn swordsmanship, but Yan Sheng said, "Someone as honorable and upright as you could be a swordsman, but you come from a wealthy background and are not suited for this path." Ning Sheng, under the pretext of having a sister buried there, exhumed the woman's remains, carefully wrapped them in clothes and bedding, and rented a boat to return home. Ning Sheng's study was near a wilderness, where he built a tomb and buried Xiaoqian outside his study. During the offering, he prayed, "Pitying you as a lonely soul, I bury you beside my study, so we can hear each other's songs and cries, no longer bullied by malevolent spirits. Please drink a cup of this humble offering, though it is neither pure nor sweet, and I hope you won't disdain it." After praying, he was about to leave when someone called, "Please wait for me!" Ning Sheng turned to see Xiaoqian. Joyfully thanking him, Xiaoqian said, "Your integrity is such that I could never repay you, even if I died ten times! Please allow me to return with you, meet your parents, and serve you as a maid without regret." Ning Sheng observed her closely, her skin fair and rosy, her feet as delicate as bamboo shoots, even more radiant and tender in daylight. He then brought her to his study, asking her to wait while he informed his mother. His mother was astonished upon hearing this. Ning Sheng's wife had been ill for a long time, and his mother warned him to keep it a secret to avoid frightening her. Just as she finished speaking, Xiaoqian gracefully entered and knelt. Ning Sheng said, "This is Xiaoqian." His mother, startled, didn't know what to do. Xiaoqian said to her, "I am a wandering soul, far from my family, and grateful for your son's care and kindness. I wish to serve as a maid to repay his generosity." Seeing her gentle beauty, the mother was charmed and finally spoke to her, saying, "Young lady, I am pleased you regard my son so highly. But he is my only child, and I hope for him to continue our family line, so I dare not let him marry a ghost bride." Xiaoqian replied, "I truly have no other intentions. Since I am from the netherworld and cannot earn your trust, please allow me to serve him as a sister would, attending to you morning and night." Moved by her sincerity, the mother agreed. Xiaoqian wished to visit her sister-in-law, but the mother excused her illness, so Xiaoqian refrained; she then promptly entered the kitchen, taking over the cooking as if she had long been part of the household.
“A righteous man resists the temptations and warnings of a charming ghostly woman who reveals her tragic past and seeks his help to find peace.”