The house of Qin Shu, of Pei Prefecture, was in Xiaoxin Village, within Qu’e. He was once returning from the capital, and was still more than twenty li distant when the sky darkened and he lost his way. In the distance he saw the light of a fire, so headed towards it. Eventually he saw a woman emerge holding a candle, but she told him: “I am a woman living alone, and may not invite guests to stay.” Shu said: “I need to get back to the road, but lost my way in the depths of night and was unable to go on. Please let me stay out here.” The woman assented to this. Shu then advanced and sat down, and it became clear that his host was indeed alone in a single room. Shu worried that her husband might come, and did not dare to sleep. The woman said: “Why be so suspicious? Keep calm. We should not suspect one another unjustly.” She laid out food for Shu, all of which was extremely old-fashioned in style. Shu said: “The lady has not yet married. I too have not yet married, and wish to marry. Could we be united?” The woman laughed: “Look at your servant’s lowly status; how could we possibly be man and wife?” She then withdrew within for the night. Around dawn Shu departed, and they clasped hands in parting. The woman said: “I have seen the gentleman once, but will never show my face again.” She then gave him a ring, which he tied to his belt, and saw him out through the gate. Shu walked hurriedly away for several paces with his head down. When he turned to see the place where he had stayed, it was just a tomb. For several days he forgot about the ring, but there it was tied up in his belt as before.
From Zhenyilu.
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, 324.2568:
秦樹
沛郡人秦樹者。家在曲阿小辛村。嘗自京歸。未至二十里許。天暗失道。遙望火光。往投之。見一女子。秉燭出云。女弱獨居。不得宿客。樹曰。欲進路。礙夜不可前去。乞寄外住。女然之。樹既進坐。竟以此女獨處一室。慮其夫至。不敢安眠。女曰。何以過嫌。保無慮。不相誤也。為樹設食。食物悉是陳久。樹曰。承未出適。我亦未婚。欲結大義。能相顧否。女笑曰。自顧鄙薄。豈足伉儷。遂與寢止。向晨樹去。乃俱起執別。女泣曰。與君一覩。後面莫期。以指環一雙贈之。結置衣帶。相送出門。樹低頭急去數十步。顧其宿處。乃是冢墓。居數日。亡其指環。結帶如故。出甄異錄