The second collection of this work records the Seven Ladies of Tingzhou. Ganzhou has them too. They are mountain spirits, and throughout the cities, towns and villages shrines are raised to them everywhere. Their form is seven women, and they are quite able to bring fortune or misfortune.
In the tenth year of Chunxi, Wang Daguang of Lin’an was serving as a clerk in the Mining and Smelting Bureau. His gatekeeper reported to him:
“Early this morning, not long after the gate was opened, a bean-milk seller came by, and several women came out of the house and bought from him. They said to him: wait here a little and we will bring you the money. They did not come out again. I do not know who they were, but I make bold to report it.”
Daguang was alarmed. “My household women would not go out buying things at first light. The man must be mistaken. If it really happened, then some demon must have borrowed their shapes. But in broad daylight — how could such a thing be?”
The gatekeeper said something about the Ladies. So they went and looked at the shrine — and there, on the incense table, was the bean-milk.
Daguang at once ordered it heated through and offered to the Ladies, and paid the seller what the bean-milk was worth.
