The Ghost Bride

by Yangsze Choo

This practice of arranging the marriage of a dead person was uncommon, usually held in order to placate a spirit. A deceased concubine who had produced a son might be officially married to elevate her status to a wife. Or two lovers who died tragically might be united after death. That much I knew. But to marry the living to the dead was a rare and, indeed, dreadful occurrence.

Indeed

feminine and full of negative energy, as opposed to the sun that was yang and exemplified masculinity. I liked the moon, with its soft silver beams. It was at once elusive and filled with trickery, so that lost objects that had rolled into the crevices of a room were rarely found, and books read in its light seemed to contain all sorts of fanciful stories that were never there the next morning.

Oh

ghosts and dreams. He would often quote Confucius, who had said it was better not to know about ghosts and gods, but rather to focus on the world we lived in.

Exactly

Now as I climbed the stairs, I wished that I could sleep like a child again, safe in a warm circle of friends. As it was, I opened the windows. The night was cooling and the air smelled like rain. Somberly I climbed into bed. I was afraid.

If I told Amah, I would have the opposite problem. She would be only too ready to believe me. She would get an exorcist, burn chicken feathers, instruct me to drink the blood of a dog or suggest splashing it around the room to unmask ghosts. She might drag me off to visit a medium.

Lol

“If I had known how easy it is to lose your life, I would have treasured mine better.”

True

merchant quarter. I don’t know where the others go, though,” she said carelessly. The merchant

I made a noncommittal noise and she fell silent. After a time, however, she said in a low voice, “I know you see differently than I do. What is it really like?” In the growing

told him that I was sucking his life force out.” “And were you?” “Of course not!” she said.

thought it a simple case of overstaying, but clearly she had been involved in other

flattened the grass around us. An instant later, they had lifted

sometimes cross into here. But nobody really knows whether these

nonhumans could not. “Yes, but they seldom

want you in here early tomorrow morning when the fires are lit.” I looked up at him, dazed. “How will I find my way?” “Didn’t you hear me? I’ll send a puppet servant out with you. You can get your grave goods and other belongings. Store them in your own room and don’t