Li Chia, seeing the thousand ounces of silver in his cabin,
unceasingly wept for the death of Shih-niang. His remorse gave birth
to a kind of madness in him, of which he could never be healed.

Sun was so prostrated that he had to keep his bed. He thought he saw
Shih-niang standing in front of him all day and every day. It was not
long before he expiated his crime in death.

We must now tell how Liu, having left the capital to return to his own
village, also halted at Kua-chow. Leaning over the river to take up
some water in a bronze basin, he let the thing slip, and therefore
begged certain fishermen to drag their net for it.

When they drew up, there was a little box in the net. Liu opened
it, and it was full of pearls and precious stones. He rewarded the
fishermen generously, and placed the box near his pillow.

In the night he had a dream. A young woman rose from the troubled
waters of the river, and he recognized Shih-niang. She drew near,
wishing him ten thousand happinesses. Then she recounted the unworthy
ingratitude of Li, and said:

"Of your bounty you gave me a hundred and fifty ounces. I have
not forgotten your generosity, and I put this little box in the
fishermen's net as an offering of recognition."

He awoke and, having learned thus of Shih-niang's death, sighed for a
long time.