In the first year of the Jin Shengping era (357-61 CE), Ren Huairen was thirteen years old, and serving as Administrative Clerk to the Censorate. In his hometown was one Wang Zu, who served as a clerk, and who had long favoured him. By the time Huairen reached fifteen or sixteen, however, they had a number of [2537] disagreements. Zu was resentful, and when he travelled to Jiaxing, he killed Huairen, burying him at the edge of a field by the home of one Xu Zu. Later, when Zu happened to be taking a rest by the field, he suddenly noticed the presence of this grave. At each of his three daily eating times, dawn, noon and evening, he would divided his meal and make an offering to it, and call out: “Spirit at the head of the field, come share my food.” When he closed his eyes to sleep, he would also say: “Come and share my rest.” This went on for some time.
Later, one night he suddenly saw a person manifest. It addressed him: “Tomorrow my family will make offerings to mark the end of the mourning period. These offerings will be especially generous, and the gentleman should go there along with me.” Zu said: “I’m a mortal; we should not appear to one another.” The spirit told him: “I will hide the gentleman.” Zu then set off following the spirit, and after a short period they reached his home. There were many guests at the house, and the spirit led Zu up to the spirit tablet. The great spread of food then vanished, and the gathered family all cried out and wept, unable to control themselves, saying that their son had returned. He then saw Wang Zu arrive, and said: “This is my killer. I still fear him.” He then departed, and Xu Zu suddenly became visible. The family were quite shocked, and questioned him, at which he related the whole affair. They then followed Zu to pay respects at the grave. Once they had departed, the spirit never returned.
From Youminglu.
Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 320.2536-37:
任懷仁
晉升平元年。任懷仁年十三。為台書佐。鄉里有王祖復為令史。恒寵之。懷仁已十五六矣。頗有異 [2537] 意。祖銜恨。至嘉興。殺懷仁。以棺殯埋於徐祚家田頭。祚後宿息田上。忽見有塚。至朝中暮三時食。輒分以祭之。呼云。田頭鬼。來就我食。至瞑眠時。亦云。來伴我宿。如此積時。後夜忽見形云。我家明當除服作祭。祭甚豐厚。君明隨去。祚云。我是生人。不當相見。鬼云。我自隱君形。祚便隨鬼去。計行食頃。便到其家。家大有客。鬼將祚上靈座。大食滅。合家號泣。不能自勝。謂其兒還。見王祖來。便曰。此是殺我人。猶畏之。便走出。祚即形露。家中大驚。具問祚。因敘本末。遂隨祚迎喪。既去。鬼便斷絕。出幽明錄