Original Text
The water manna grass is a poisonous plant, creeping like kudzu vines, with purple flowers resembling those of the hyacinth bean. Should anyone mistakenly consume it, they would instantly die from the poison and become a water manna ghost. According to local legend, such ghosts cannot enter the cycle of reincarnation; they must wait for another person to die from the poison before they can be released from their plight. Thus, in the region of Peach Blossom River in Chu, water manna ghosts are especially numerous.
In the Chu region, people born in the same year were called 'same-year brothers,' and when presenting visiting cards, they addressed each other as 'Elder Brother of the Same Year' or 'Younger Brother of the Same Year,' while the younger generation called them 'Uncle of the Same Year'—such was the traditional custom. There was a scholar named Zhu who went to visit a same-year brother. On the way, feeling hot and thirsty, he wished to drink some water. Suddenly, he saw an old woman by the roadside setting up a stall selling water, so he hurried over. The old woman welcomed him into the stall and served tea with great diligence. Zhu smelled the tea and found it had a strange odor, unlike ordinary tea, so he set it down without drinking and rose to leave. The old woman hastily grabbed him and called out, 'Third Daughter, bring a cup of fine tea quickly.' In a moment, a young girl came from behind the stall holding a teacup. She appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen, with a strikingly beautiful face, adorned with rings and bracelets that were crystal clear and dazzling. Zhu took the teacup, already utterly entranced; when he smelled the tea, it was incomparably fragrant. After drinking it all, he repeatedly asked for more. Seeing that the old woman was not around, he flirtatiously grasped the girl's slender wrist and removed one of her rings. The girl blushed and smiled, which made Zhu's heart even more unsettled. He hastily asked where the girl lived, and she said, 'If you come again tonight, sir, I will still be here.' Zhu took a pinch of tea leaves, put away the ring, and then left.
When Zhu Sheng arrived at his friend's house, he felt nauseous and suspected it was caused by the tea he had drunk, so he recounted the entire incident to his friend. The friend was greatly alarmed and said, "This is terrible! You have been poisoned by the water ghost. My own father died at the hands of such a spirit. There is no remedy for this; what can be done?" Zhu Sheng was terrified and took out the tea leaves to examine them, and indeed they were water ghost grass. He then produced the ring and described the young woman. The friend guessed, "That must be Kou Sanniang." When Zhu Sheng heard that the name matched, he asked how he knew. The friend replied, "In the southern village, there is a wealthy family named Kou whose daughter has long been renowned for her beauty. Several years ago, she died after mistakenly eating water ghost grass, and she must have become a demon." It was said that if one poisoned by a water ghost knew the ghost's surname and could obtain a pair of her trousers, boiling them in water and drinking the broth would effect a cure. The friend hurried to the Kou household, told them the truth, and knelt for a long time, begging earnestly. But the Kou family, considering that Zhu Sheng was to die in place of their daughter, grudgingly refused to help. The friend returned in fury and told Zhu Sheng. Zhu Sheng gnashed his teeth in hatred and declared, "If I die, I will never let that daughter of theirs be reborn!"
The fellow candidates carried Zhu Sheng back home, but he died as soon as they reached the doorstep. His mother wailed bitterly and buried her son. Zhu Sheng left behind an infant son barely one year old. His wife could not remain faithful and remarried after half a year. The mother kept the orphaned child by her side, raising him herself, enduring great hardship and weeping day and night.
One day, Mother Zhu was holding her grandson and weeping in the house when suddenly Zhu Sheng quietly entered. Mother Zhu was terrified, wiped away her tears, and asked her son how he had come. Zhu Sheng replied, "Your son, from the underworld, heard his mother weeping, and his heart was filled with sorrow, so he came to attend to her. Though your son is dead, he has already found a family in the netherworld, and I will soon call her to share in your burdens, Mother; do not grieve any longer." Mother Zhu asked, "Who is this daughter-in-law?" Zhu Sheng said, "The Kou family allowed your son to die, and I was deeply resentful. After death, I sought to find San Niang, but knew not where she was. Recently, I encountered a certain Uncle Geng, who told me of her whereabouts. I went in search, but San Niang had already been reborn into the household of Minister Ren. I pursued her swiftly and forcibly brought her back. Now she is your son's wife, and we get along well enough, suffering no hardship." After a moment, a woman entered from outside, clad in splendid garments and of great beauty; she knelt on the ground and paid respects to Mother Zhu. Zhu Sheng said, "This is Kou San Niang." Mother Zhu looked at her, and though she was not a living person, her heart was somewhat comforted. Zhu Sheng then bade San Niang manage the household affairs. San Niang was quite unaccustomed to such tasks, yet she complied with Mother Zhu's wishes in a pleasing manner. From then on, they dwelt in their former chamber and remained there, never leaving.
Third Lady begged Mother Zhu to inform her own family. Zhu Sheng did not want his mother to tell them, but Mother Zhu, complying with Third Lady's wishes, relayed the matter to her family. The old couple of the Kou family were greatly startled upon hearing this. They hastily took a carriage and came, and upon seeing that it was indeed Third Lady, they wept bitterly before her. Third Lady consoled them until their tears ceased. Mother Kou, observing the poverty of Zhu Sheng's household, felt deeply distressed. Third Lady said, "Since I have already become a ghost, why should I despise poverty? Moreover, the bond between Mother Zhu and her son is deep and kind to me, and I am fully content." She then asked, "Who was that old woman who sold tea?" Third Lady replied, "Her surname is Ni. Knowing she could not beguile travelers on her own, she sought my assistance. She has now been reborn into a family of tea sellers in the county town." Turning to Zhu Sheng, she added, "Since you have become a son-in-law, why do you not pay respects to your father-in-law and mother-in-law? What am I to think of this?" Only then did Zhu Sheng go forward and perform the ceremonial bows to his parents-in-law. Third Lady then went to the kitchen, taking Mother Zhu's place in preparing a meal to entertain her own parents. Mother Kou, witnessing this scene, was deeply grieved, and upon returning home, she immediately sent two maidservants to assist with the chores, along with a hundred taels of silver and several tens of bolts of silk. She also frequently sent wine and meat, gradually enriching Mother Zhu's household. The Kou family often invited Third Lady to return home. After staying a few days, she would say, "There is no one at home; I should return early." Sometimes the Kou family deliberately tried to keep her longer, but Third Lady would quietly slip away. Old Man Kou even built a large house for Zhu Sheng, providing everything with great thoroughness. Yet Zhu Sheng never once went to the Kou household to pay his respects.
One day, a man in the village was poisoned by water-mangrove grass, and after dying he revived; as everyone spread the tale, they found it most strange. Zhu Sheng said, "It was I who brought him back to life. He was harmed by Li Jiu, and I drove the ghost away for him." His mother asked, "Why do you not take someone as your substitute?" Zhu Sheng replied, "I detest such people deeply and wish to drive them all away—how could I stoop to such a deed? Besides, I find great joy in serving you, my mother, and have no desire for rebirth." From then on, whenever anyone was poisoned by water-mangrove grass, they would often prepare abundant wine and food, bring them to Zhu's courtyard to pray for aid, and it proved most efficacious.
After more than ten years, the mother of Zhu Sheng passed away. Zhu Sheng and his wife mourned with deep grief, observing the rites of mourning, but they refused to see any guests, only instructing their son to wear the hempen mourning garments and teaching him the proper rituals and etiquette. After burying the mother, another two years passed, and they arranged a marriage for their son. This bride was the granddaughter of Vice Minister Ren. Previously, Vice Minister Ren's concubine had given birth to a daughter, but the child died within a few months. Later, hearing of the extraordinary tale of Zhu Sheng and the Third Lady, Ren ordered a carriage to be driven to the Zhu household, where he established a father-in-law relationship with Zhu Sheng. By this time, Vice Minister Ren married his granddaughter to Zhu Sheng's son, and their families continued to visit each other frequently.
One day, Scholar Zhu said to his son, "The Heavenly Emperor, because of my merits in the mortal realm, has appointed me as the 'Dragon Lord of the Four Rivers.' I am now to depart for my post." In a moment, four horses appeared in the courtyard, drawing a carriage with yellow curtains, their legs covered in scales. Scholar Zhu and his wife, dressed in splendid attire, came out and ascended the carriage together. Their son and daughter-in-law wept as they bowed in farewell, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished. On the same day, the Kou family saw their daughter arrive, bidding farewell to her parents, speaking the same words as Scholar Zhu. The old mother wept and tried to detain her, but the daughter said, "My husband Zhu has already gone ahead." She stepped out the door and disappeared. Scholar Zhu's son, named Zhu E, styled Li Chen, after obtaining the Kou family's consent, interred the remains of the Third Lady together with Scholar Zhu in a joint burial.
Commentary
Regarding the widely circulated folk tales about catching substitute ghosts, "The Water Mangrove" from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio can be considered a companion piece to "Wang Liulang." However, "Wang Liulang" focuses primarily on friendship between men, while "The Water Mangrove" centers on romantic relationships between men and women and extends to a broad range of human affairs and worldly wisdom. "Wang Liulang" merely depicts Wang Liulang's reluctance to harm two lives for the sake of one substitute death, thus ending the substitution, without making any explicit commentary on the practice of catching substitute ghosts itself. In contrast, "The Water Mangrove" not only comprehensively showcases the folk custom of water ghost substitutes but also expresses the author's ethical critique of this folk legend. In a sense, "The Water Mangrove" is the richest story we have seen so far concerning the folk custom of catching substitute ghosts, and it is also the most romantic and intriguing tale on the theme of substitute ghosts.
"The Tale of the Water Sedge" is not very long, just over a thousand characters, yet it delicately portrays complex human relationships: the friendship between Scholar Zhu and his peer, the mutual aid between the old woman surnamed Ni, a water-sedge ghost, and the maiden Kou Sanniang, Scholar Zhu's filial piety toward his aged mother, the Kou parents' deep sorrow for their daughter, the discord between Scholar Zhu and his in-laws, and Kou Sanniang's maneuvering between her husband and her natal family—all are vividly depicted with few strokes, yet each character stands out distinctly, leaving a profound impression, demonstrating Pu Songling's keen observation of human psychology and social mores.