Folklore Supernatural Stories Heard from the Older Generation

Story

In Great-Grandma's childhood village, nearly every household grew wheat, corn, and watermelons. Times were tough, and people were reluctant to use oil lamps, so once evening fell, the village would be enveloped in darkness, with the stars shining particularly brightly. In the wheat fields, many foxes could be seen practicing alchemy under the moonlight—opening and closing their mouths as if reciting something—resulting in the fields alternately brightening and darkening. Animals often stole melons from the fields. Hearing this reminded me of Lu Xun's characters, Runtu and the "cha," in his short stories. Out of boredom, Great-Grandma and her sisters decided to take on the task of guarding the watermelons. They cheerfully went hand in hand, hopping and skipping to the fields.

In the fields, there was a simple hut where they would sit and play games. Just as they were enjoying themselves, Great-Grandma suddenly heard rustling noises from the wild area outside the window. She peeked out and saw an animal the size of a calf lying on its back in the field, playfully rubbing itself against the ground. She had never seen such a creature before and nervously asked her sisters to look as well. To her surprise, no one else, apart from her, saw anything there. They accused her of trying to scare them. Frightened, Great-Grandma fled the scene and rushed back home. She never dared to tell the adults about the incident. The next day, during daylight hours, she secretly went back to the field and examined the spot where the mysterious animal had been lying. She noticed that the wheat and grass in that area had been flattened, providing evidence that something indeed had been rolling around there at night.

Story Two

Great-Grandma also shared a story that sounded much like something out of the "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" (a collection of supernatural tales). When I was a child, I believed it wholeheartedly, but looking back now, I realize it might have contained elements of rumor and superstition.

In their village, there was a widow who lived not far from Great-Grandma's home. She was robust and capable, often carrying cotton to the market to earn money. Later, she somehow became involved with a man. This man was said to be lean, tall, with a dark complexion and strong muscles. He started living with the widow, sleeping with her at night and leaving during the day. Over time, the widow developed deep feelings for him and expressed her desire for a child. Strangely, her home started to see frequent appearances of small snakes. Eventually, the once-strong widow's health deteriorated rapidly. She fell seriously ill and, after being hospitalized, it was discovered that her bones had turned soft. Shockingly, she passed away not long after. After her death, her grave turned into a snake den, with snakes wriggling out of it daily.

Great-Grandma heard that some people had actually seen this dark-skinned man. After leaving the widow's home, he transformed into a large, black, elongated creature, coiling his tail around a tree while drinking water from a bay... This seems to be a story of a snake spirit seducing a widow. However, what's baffling is that I later separately asked two uncles about this story, if they had heard of it. Both of them claimed to know the widow and mentioned her by name, and indeed, the grave being full of snake holes was true. The expressions on their faces when sharing this story were incredibly genuine, completely unlike something fabricated.

Story Three

Great-Grandma also told me another tale. It's about an old man who was knowledgeable in feng shui. Before his death, he selected a piece of auspicious land and repeatedly instructed his children that he should not be buried in a coffin and should not wear burial clothes. He must be buried naked. On the day of the burial, his children couldn't withstand the villagers' stares and comments, so they covered him with a pair of pants for modesty. Not long after, lightning suddenly struck from the sky, blowing open the old man's new grave. His body from the waist up was covered in dragon scales, his head transformed into a dragon's head, complete with long horns and whiskers. However, his lower body still retained human legs, covered by the pair of pants. It was only then that his children realized their well-intentioned "filial act" had hindered their father's transformation into a dragon. I've also come across this story in the novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light." It seemed to be about Old Yang's transformation into a dragon. I was surprised to learn that such legends are spread across various regions.