Stories I've Heard Over the Years in China

Title: The Haunted Reservoir

In our village, there used to be a large reservoir where people would often go to wash clothes, catch fish, and fetch water. However, the adults never allowed children to play there, warning that someone had died in those waters. Despite the warnings, some mischievous kids couldn’t resist the allure.

One day, three boys—Da Hu, Er Zhu, and Xiao Shan—decided to visit the reservoir together. While playing near the shore, they suddenly saw a large carp swimming toward them. It seemed close, and they thought they could catch it. But no matter how hard they tried, the fish stayed just out of reach, luring them farther and farther toward the middle of the reservoir.

Da Hu began to sense something was wrong and called for Er Zhu and Xiao Shan to swim back. Er Zhu turned back, but Xiao Shan suddenly screamed—his foot was caught on something, and he couldn’t free himself. Da Hu and Er Zhu swam to the shore and looked back, seeing Xiao Shan struggling in the center of the reservoir. Afraid to go back in, they ran to the village for help.

By the time the adults arrived, Xiao Shan’s lifeless body was floating on the water, his face pale and motionless.

After that day, strange occurrences around the reservoir became more frequent, and the villagers, growing fearful, decided it was best to fill in the reservoir. As they began clearing the area, an old locust tree next to the water stood in the way, so they chose to cut it down. But as soon as the first axe struck, the tree oozed a thick red liquid, staining the reservoir’s waters, making the scene eerily blood-red. Despite their efforts, the villagers couldn’t manage to fill in the reservoir, so they called in a local shaman.

The shaman examined the area and explained that the reservoir held a heavy presence of spirits, and the locust tree was a beacon for them, which was why so many incidents had occurred. After a ritual, peace was finally restored to the village.

Since then, no one dared approach the reservoir again.