Description
A Ghost in Love (in Short Ghost and Horror Collection 023 )
On the 15th day of the First Moon, in the second year of the period of
"Renewed Principles," the streets of the town of the Eastern Lake were
thronged with people who were strolling about.
At the setting of the sun every shop was brightly lit up; processions of
people moved hither and thither; strings of boys were carrying lanterns
of every form and colour; whole families passed, every member of whom,
young or old, small or big, was holding at the end of a thin bamboo the
lighted image of a bird, an animal, or a flower.
Richer ones, several together, were carrying enormous dragons whose
luminous wings waved at every motion and whose glaring eyes rolled from
right to left. It was the Fête of the Lanterns.
A young man, clothed in a long pale green dress, allowed himself to be
pushed about by the crowd; the passers-by bowed to him:
"How is my Lord Li The-peaceful?"
"The humble student thanks you; and you, how are you?"
"Very well, thanks to your happy influence."
"Does the precious student soon pass his second literary examination?"
"In two months; ignorant that I am. I am idling instead of working."
The fête was drawing to a close when The-peaceful quitted the main
street, and went towards the East Gate, where the house was to be found
in which he lived alone.
He went farther and farther: the moving lights were rarer; ere long he
only saw before him the fire of a white lantern decorated with two red
peonies. The paper globe was swinging to the steps of a tiny girl
clothed in the blue linen that only slaves wore. The light, behind,
showed the elegant silhouette of another woman, this one covered with
Product ID: 9781776801053
Sku: 9781776801053
