Classic late‑imperial Chinese translated collection of witty, often satirical tales and moral commentaries framed as village conversations beneath a beanpole arbour — lively, reflective stories of jealousy, power, and human folly.

First complete English translation of Xuan Ding’s late-Qing strange tales: ghostly, melancholic stories blending supernatural encounters with social observation—ideal for readers of classical Chinese fiction and eerie, literary ghost stories.