Prologue

You are unaware of this, Young Master Wan was not killed by the influence of gold and silver. I heard from the servants of the Wan residence that he was entangled and killed by a vixen.

The chief steward did not wish to complicate matters, so he ordered the musicians to play and beat their instruments, thus bringing the bridal sedan into the Wan residence. The mourning hall was properly arranged, and a pair of individuals who had never met before became posthumous spouses. Lord Wan, deeply concerned for his son, had the couple buried together in a solid and sturdy grave, surrounded by two rows of trees, fearing that his son might be exposed to the sun.

Aunt Zhang expressed her regret verbally, but her eyes gleamed with glee. Young Master Wan was of a similar age to her family's third son, yet while her third son was lively and soon to be talking about a wife, Young Master Wan had kicked the bucket. Despite having immense wealth, he could not enjoy a single day of happiness. What good was being born into a wealthy family? Her third son was better off in terms of fate.

Aunt Li looked around and waved to Aunt Zhang. When Aunt Zhang leaned in, she lowered her voice and said, "This matter is rather ominous, so please don't tell anyone else. The sickly young master of the Wan family in East City suddenly died the day before yesterday; you are aware of this, right"

She is also eager to earn money for the Wan family. Given the current heat, Master Wan's coffin cannot remain in the mourning hall for more than two or three days, otherwise it will start to smell. The urgent matter is to find a recently deceased young woman within the next day or two to finalize this marriage. As for the girl's background, there is no need to be particular; as long as the birth dates match, that will suffice.

In the marketplace, there is no one who does not love such topics. Two elderly women feigned intimacy, while the surrounding tea patrons had already perked up their ears.

Aunt Zhang swiftly presented a bowl of tea and casually asked, "What matter has caused you to run around for most of the day?"

Whether this is true or false, Granny Li did not pursue the matter further. After pondering for a moment, she said: "First, please provide the girl's birth date and time. I will ask Master Yuanhuan from Dongning Temple to calculate it. I will give you five taels now, and the remaining five taels will be paid once I meet the girl"

Why is it said that wealth stirs the heart? While Aunt Zhang is here clicking her tongue, someone nearby interjects, asking: "Is this true?"

As the two women turned their heads, they discovered that it was a tea customer, someone they did not recognize. Dressed in coarse cloth, with a bag slung over his shoulder, he appeared to be a traveler from a distant place.

Aunt Zhang at the tea stall was brewing tea. It was particularly hot today, and many guests came to rest and enjoy tea, making her sweat profusely. Just as she was feeling restless, she suddenly saw the most famous matchmaker, Li, hurrying past the tea stall. She quickly called out to her. Her youngest son was nearly eighteen this year, and it was time to start preparing for a marriage.

"This... this... this..." Granny Li was also taken aback. After all, she was somewhat bolder and was thinking about the reward money. She steeled herself, entered the bridal sedan chair, checked it once more, and then came out saying, "What warmth? It is clearly a dead person. You two are just too timid. Enough, enough, I have already dressed her in the wedding gown, and it has nothing to do with you. Chief steward, I think we should proceed with the welcoming. Look at how hot it is; we can afford to delay, but Young Master Wan cannot. Hurry up and finalize the wedding so that the couple can rest in peace."

The hearts of parents in the world are perhaps best exemplified by this

The weather is getting hotter... Oh, isn't that Granny Li? Where are you rushing off to under the sun? Come over and take a break, have a sip of iced tea, it's on the house, consider it a treat from me...

"Indeed not." Granny Li considered herself fortunate to have found a confidante and began to vent her grievances: "Poor me, with these two legs, I am almost worn out from running. Aunt Zhang, since you run this tea stall and have a wide network, please help me inquire about any families that have lost a daughter. It doesn't matter if they are poor; as long as I can find one, I can promise a generous reward of ten taels of silver, which I can still afford."

The tea guest received five taels of silver, and a wind suddenly arose beneath his feet. In less than half an hour, he arrived at the potter's field, finding a newly dug grave path: "This is the place."

Aunt Zhang immediately chimed in: "Yes, yes, Granny Li is an honest person, and everyone in the neighborhood knows it. I was just about to ask Granny Li to be the matchmaker for my youngest son; I don't trust the matchmakers from other families."

The steward was taken aback and went to search for the tea guest, but there was no sign of anyone. The tea guest had left without even taking the remaining silver taels. This girl was not his niece; rather, the day before, he had passed by a potter's field and discovered a girl who had died there. He had intended to report it to the authorities but feared causing trouble and delaying his journey. With the intention of saving trouble and out of a bit of kindness, he wrapped her in a straw mat he carried and dug a pit to bury her. Unexpectedly, while resting and having tea in the city today, he heard a few words from the matchmaker Li, which sparked his greedy thoughts. He then made up a story, and when it was almost time to dig the pit, he feared being exposed and slipped away with the five taels of silver.

It is said that on the night when Young Master Wan died, a servant saw a woman in his room who was so beautiful she seemed almost inhuman. Her smile was utterly captivating, and she had a fox tail hanging behind her. The servant fainted on the spot, and when he came to, Young Master Wan was already dead. Tell me, if this isn't a case of being ensnared by a fox spirit, how else could he have died?

The tea guest immediately provided his birth date and time, which Granny Li noted down. She didn't even have time to enjoy the free tea and hurried off to Dongning Temple. The tea guest, also preoccupied with the five taels of silver, followed her. Aunt Zhang, anxious, chased after them, calling out: "You haven't paid for the tea yet." The tea guest fished out a few copper coins from his pouch and tossed them over.

It is quite easy to match the birth dates. Granny Li secretly slipped a copper coin over, and Master Yuanhuan immediately declared a perfect match. Granny Li was so delighted that her eyes sparkled with joy. She then asked Master Yuanhuan to write a note and added, "The Wan family wishes to conduct a ghost marriage, but the young lady has already been buried. We need to open the coffin and also invite a great master of talismans to perform the necessary rituals. Once this is accomplished, the Wan family will certainly express their gratitude generously."

"It must be the foxes from Xishan. Years ago, there was a fox plague there. Later, a Taoist from Longhushan set up a platform at the foot of the mountain to perform rituals, which finally quelled the fox problem. I never expected that they would become restless again. I need to tell my children to absolutely avoid going to Xishan," Aunt Zhang muttered. After a moment, she felt something was amiss and hurriedly asked, "Li Granny, you are not a Taoist. Why are you so busy with matters concerning capturing fox spirits?"

Aunt Zhang immediately clicked her tongue, ten taels of silver, equivalent to half a year's hard-earned money from her tea stall. The Wan family is indeed spending a fortune; they can afford to offer ten taels of silver. The matchmaker Li will at least receive fifty taels. No wonder this matter is so difficult to handle. If it were her, Aunt Zhang, she would gladly run around tirelessly, even if it meant breaking her legs.

Before discussing serious matters, one must engage in some casual conversation. Women in this world possess this nature, regardless of whether they are seven or eight years old, or seventy or eighty years old, and this is especially true for women in the marketplace.

"It's Aunt Zhang... Come, bring me a bowl of tea. I've been running around all day, look at all this sweat, I might as well have been fished out of the water..." Granny Li slowed her pace. Free tea, why not enjoy it? Having been a matchmaker for decades and having seen countless people, she could tell from Aunt Zhang's eagerness what was going on. With business knocking at the door, no matter how busy she was, she had to make time to talk.

The tea guest said: "I am a stranger here, and I have no time to inquire about things. Therefore, as long as I pay the full bride price of five taels, I will arrange this for my niece. Speaking of which, my niece is also a poor soul. She lost her mother when she was young, and her father has been away running a business for many years. Not long ago, I finally received a letter saying that he had made money in Songyang City, settled down, and found a stepmother for my niece. He asked me to send her over, but unexpectedly, the girl had never traveled far. After leaving home for just over a hundred miles, she fell ill due to the change in environment and could not catch her breath. Last night, she finally closed her eyes. I couldn't bear to take her body on the road alone, so I hastily buried her in a makeshift grave in the outskirts. I planned to wait until I found her father to give her a grand burial. Just now, I overheard your conversation, and it moved me. My poor niece was still a young girl, and now she is alone in the underworld. It would be better to let her accompany Young Master Wan; this is my heartfelt wish as her uncle."

The master of the circle hurriedly performed the ritual. Once the ritual was completed, the people from the Wan family also arrived. The chief steward of the Wan family led the way, digging the grave and opening the coffin. When they finally dug it open, they discovered that there was no coffin at all, but rather a roll of straw mat. Inside, there indeed lay a young girl, vibrant and lively. Although she was lifeless, her face was rosy, resembling someone who was merely asleep. Two dimples adorned her cheeks, as if she still bore a smile. This sight left the chief steward feeling quite unsettled. He pressed his finger under the girl's nose to check again, confirming that she was truly lifeless. Only then did he wave his hand and say, "Hurry up and dress her, and send her off in the bridal sedan chair."

Old Lady Li sighed and said, "I do not concern myself with the matter of catching fox spirits, but I do take responsibility for matchmaking. Young Master Wan was engaged in his childhood, originally intended to marry in order to bring good fortune. However, before Young Master Wan could enter the bridal chamber, he was summoned by the King of Hell. Old Master Wan, feeling sorrow for his young and lonely son, wished for the bride to hold the spirit tablet and marry into the Wan family. Yet, the bride's family refused. They somehow heard about Young Master Wan being entangled by a fox spirit and insisted that he must have had a moral failing to attract such a spirit, demanding the annulment of the engagement. The Wan family was unwilling, but the bride's family was powerful, having produced a scholar. Although the Wan family was wealthy, they ultimately could not contend with the officials, so they had no choice but to withdraw from the engagement. Old Master Wan, having no other options, thought to arrange a ghost marriage for Young Master Wan, believing that even in death, he could have a woman who understands warmth and cold to care for him. Thus, he came to me."

The Ring Master then summoned two young acolytes, equipped with ritual implements, and under the guidance of the tea guests, they set off towards the outskirts. On the way, Granny Li spotted a child playing on the street, and from the books, she recognized her eldest grandson. She urged him to quickly deliver a message to the Wan family, stating that they had found the girl and requested the Wan family to promptly send a sedan chair for her reception

Conducting a ghost marriage? This matter is not easy. Where can one find a girl whose birth date is compatible with Young Master Wan's, who has died unmarried, and moreover, has passed away in the last few days? No wonder you have been running around for most of the day; even if you continue to search for a few more days, it is uncertain whether you will find such a suitable person.

Two wedding attendants trembled as they were forced into a difficult situation. They had dressed countless brides before, but this was their first time preparing a corpse. However, with a generous reward from the family, the thought of the gleaming silver made them reluctant to refuse. They had no choice but to brace themselves and proceeded to assist the young lady into her bridal attire, styling her hair and adorning her with flowers. During the process of changing her clothes, one of them accidentally touched the young lady's chest, which startled both attendants so much that they stumbled and fell out of the bridal sedan chair.

Warm, warm... Oh my... This girl's body is still warm

"Indeed, I, Granny Li, may be a matchmaker, but you can inquire and see when I have ever spoken words that do not hold true" Granny Li's eyes sparkled with excitement

"Fox spirit!" Aunt Zhang exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth again, and whispered, "Fox spirit?"

During the seventh day, countless paper offerings were burned, with tall buildings and spacious houses being set ablaze one after another. Additionally, dozens of paper-made servants and miscellaneous figures were also burned. This was still not enough, as a basin of paper offerings was later burned at the City God Temple, where the temple priest was asked to write a memorial and flatter the City God profusely. The underlying intention was clear: to seek a minor official position for his son in the underworld. This situation arose from the previous engagement being called off, which left Lord Wan feeling quite dissatisfied. He thought to himself, the Lu family only produced a successful candidate for the imperial examination, while my Wan family may not have much, but we are wealthy. As the saying goes, money can make the devil push the mill. I too want to seek a position for my son in the underworld, so that when he descends to the netherworld, he will not be bullied.

Of course I know, how could I not? It has long spread throughout the entire city, and everyone is lamenting. They all say that Young Master Wan is unfortunate, unable to bear the immense wealth of the Wan family, and has been overwhelmed by the riches.