This is an episode from the novel Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Wang Zifu lost his father at a young age and was raised with great care by his mother. When he came of age, his mother arranged a marriage for him, but the chosen bride died before the wedding.
On the Lantern Festival, Zifu's cousin, Wu Sheng, invited him on an outing. Wu had to return home early, leaving Zifu alone. In the crowd, Zifu suddenly spotted a girl with bright eyes. She was carrying a twig of plum blossoms and walking gracefully. Zifu could not take his eyes off her. Noticing his gaze, the girl dropped the blossom twig on the ground and walked away, smiling.
Zifu picked up the flower and returned home, placing it under his pillow. He missed the girl so intensely that he stopped eating and drinking, soon becoming too weak to get out of bed. When Wu Sheng learned of this, he came to inquire. Zifu told him the truth. To comfort him, Wu Sheng lied, claiming the girl was a cousin living in the mountains about fifteen kilometers to the southwest. He promised they would search for her once Zifu recovered. Heartened by this news, Zifu quickly regained his health. Knowing his lie would be exposed, Wu Sheng avoided Zifu afterward.
Wu Sheng made excuses whenever Zifu asked for help finding the girl. Unable to wait, Zifu set out alone based on Wu's vague description. In the mountains, he found a young woman named Ying Ning. He stayed at her home for a few days before bringing her back to marry her. After marriage, they loved each other dearly and lived happily. One day, Ying Ning revealed that she was the daughter of a fox immortal, raised by a ghost mother. Zifu was not at all troubled by this revelation.