Thirty-Six Strange Tales

An explanation of the Thirty-Six Trades: The Song dynasty text Miscellaneous Records of Passionate Affairs says that in the Tang dynasty there were "thirty-six trades": butchers, fishmongers, seafood sellers, rice sellers, condiment sellers, fruit and flower sellers, cosmetics sellers, tavern keepers, tea sellers, soup shop owners, apothecaries, firewood sellers, coffin makers, silk merchants, tailors, embroidery artists, seamstresses, leatherworkers, craftspeople, antiques dealers, coroners, net makers, musicians, variety performers, palanquin makers, jewelers, jade merchants, stationery sellers, paper merchants, household goods sellers, bamboo and timber merchants, ironware sellers, potters, cotton and yarn merchants, postal couriers, and shamans.

This is a series of strange tales about city professions. There are no ghosts, demons, or monsters, no political conflicts or wars, no gruesome crimes or lecherous women. They are simply third-person tales of strange events inspired by different professions among the thirty-six trades.