Tonghua Ferry: The setting of the story, an ancient Jiangnan village forgotten by time. Paulownia blossoms once covered the village entrance, and the ferry has long since fallen into disrepair. Now, only a stone bridge connects the village to the outside world.
Uncanny incidents: Both supernatural events and secrets passed down through generations. Behind every uncanny incident lies a truth that has been buried.
The protagonist, Xu Nian, is blindsided by her grandmother's sudden death, leaving behind a strange final instruction: she must stay alone in the old house for seven days, lighting an ancient lamp before sunset each day. If the lamp goes out, she must give up the entire inheritance.
On the first night of mourning, the uncanny descends. At midnight, the seventh footstep sounds on the stairs right on time, and her grandmother's voice comes from outside the door: “Nian, I'm back. Open the door.” But there is no shadow at all beneath the door.
The person keeping vigil must obey three taboos to survive the seventh night…
Well written and worth reading