Tales of Folk Feng Shui Mysteries

Speaking of yellow weasels, I remember something from my childhood. My mother used to work at a factory in Yuhong. One of her coworkers often worked night shifts and slept in a cluttered room on a low spring bed.

Back then, Yuhong wasn't filled with high-rises like today. One night, a yellow weasel sneaked into the room looking for food. The coworker chased it out with a stick—he didn't hit it, but he made quite a scene. That should've been the end of it.

But a few nights later, the same coworker was on duty again. He dozed off briefly, and when he opened his eyes, the same yellow weasel was squatting right in front of him, its beady black eyes staring him down. The man was so terrified he ran for miles and couldn't sleep for several nights.

When my mom heard what happened, she told my grandfather. Grandpa said it was a good thing he didn't actually strike the weasel, otherwise there'd be serious trouble. He told my mom to advise the coworker to wrap some wine and roast chicken in yellow paper, leave it outside the door, and apologize sincerely. That would be enough to make peace.

I'm sharing this story to illustrate just how spiritually charged yellow weasels are in Chinese folklore. In folk belief, they are one of the "Five Immortals" or "Five Great Spirit Families":

Hu (Fox)

Huang (Yellow Weasel)

Bai (Hedgehog)

Liu (Snake)

Hui (Rat)

These five are believed to live closely alongside humans. They are neither fully deities nor mere demons—something in between. If you offend them or harm them, they can use magical powers to bring misfortune upon you. But if you respect and worship them, you may receive blessings. That's why many families in rural China still maintain altars to honor them.

Yellow weasels—the Huang family—are said to be particularly spiritual and best left alone.

I also remember another old tale, set in northern China before liberation. A man named Bao was walking a lonely road at night when he suddenly saw a shadowy figure in the moonlight, standing motionless in the middle of the road.

Bao was used to night travel and didn't scare easily. Curious, he approached to see what it was. When he got close, he was shocked—it looked like a dead body squatting in the road. But on closer inspection, he realized it wasn't a corpse—it was a fox, and it was wearing a human skull on its head.

The fox had tilted its head back toward the moon, as if in worship.

Though Bao felt uneasy, he didn't think much of it and grew angry instead. "This damn creature is trying to scare people," he thought. So he picked up a stick and smashed the fox dead, skull and all.

Feeling satisfied, he continued his journey home. But along the way, he kept feeling like something was following him. Whenever he turned around, there was nothing.

He made it home and told his village about what he saw and did. That's when the old-timers warned him:

"You've made a big mistake. That wasn't just any fox—it was cultivating into an immortal. Foxes sometimes dig up human skulls and wear them to absorb moonlight, in a practice known as 'Skull-Wearing Moon Worship.' You've killed a spirit fox—you'll be cursed."

Bao scoffed and didn't take the warnings seriously.

That night, as he lay in bed, he suddenly heard a woman's weeping voice outside the window:

"Wuuu… you took away my child's mother, now I'll take your child's mother!"

He bolted out of bed and searched the yard, but saw nothing.

The next night, the weeping came again. "You took my child's mother… I'll take yours…" Bao woke in a panic, called for his wife—but she didn't respond. When he lit a lamp, he found the bed empty.

Terrified, he grabbed a flashlight and stick, searched the whole house, and finally saw the front door slightly ajar. He opened it and shined the light out.

What he saw made him collapse in horror: his wife had hanged herself on the tree in front of the house.

After her funeral, Bao finally believed the fox had returned for revenge. He rushed to hire a Daoist priest. The priest stayed one night and battled the spirit, but the next morning, he packed his bags and fled, saying:

"That was Lord Hu himself—a master cultivator. I can't handle this. Find someone stronger."

That very night, Bao foamed at the mouth and dropped dead, cause unknown. But everyone knew in their hearts: it was retribution from the fox spirit he killed.

True or not, the moral is clear: never harm the Five Immortals. They walk the line between deity and demon—if you hurt them, they will strike back.

Returning to the present...

After I told this whole story, what did I get?

Mockery.No one believed me. Not only that—they ridiculed me.

Cui Hai scoffed,

"I grew up in the Greater Khingan Mountains of Heilongjiang. My grandpa and I hunted daily. If yellow weasels were so damn dangerous, I'd be long dead."

Liu Ruoyi chimed in with disdain:

"Zhang Dabao, you really think people in the 21st century believe these superstitious ghost stories? My aunt raises foxes for a living—kills dozens every year. So what, should fox spirits come curse her too?"

Her remarks won approval from the others. They turned on me, mocking and blaming me for "scaring everyone."

Shen Qingluan tugged gently on my sleeve, whispering:

"I believe you. Don't let them get to you. We're all here to have fun. No need to argue. Besides… how many animals actually turn into spirits, right?"

Her words softened the blow a little, but I couldn't hide my bitterness. I replied coldly:

"Believe it or not, that's your choice. Just don't come crying to me if something happens."

Yes, I owed Liu Ruoyi a long-overdue apology for the past…But after all her sharp remarks, I was done swallowing my pride.

What I didn't expect was for her to laugh coldly and reply:

"What, you think your little ghost tricks will impress me again? That I'll fall for you like the silly girl who once read Han Han novels and believed in magic? That girl's long gone. We've all grown up. You should too."

I got it.Got your damn message loud and clear.

To be honest, I wasn't just sad—I was furious.

Surrounded by laughter and jeers, even people I didn't know joined in the ridicule.I'd only tried to help, to warn them, but they treated me like a joke. Even my old guilt toward Liu Ruoyi vanished completely in that moment.

She had changed.She was cold, self-important, and completely unlike the girl I once knew.

Shen Qingluan tugged my sleeve again.

"Come on, help me back up some photos. I've got them on my phone."

I knew she was giving me an out—trying to spare me the embarrassment.I nodded in gratitude.

These people were like biting dogs mistaking a kind monk for a fool.What more could I say? They wouldn't listen anyway.

As the saying goes:

If it's going to rain, let it. If the bride wants to marry, let her.

They were hell-bent on ignoring my advice.

All I could do was pray those weasels were just normal animals…

As we stepped away into the trees, Shen Qingluan said:

"Sorry, I was the one who invited you. Didn't think it would turn out like this."

I smiled sincerely.

"It's okay. You meant well. You just wanted everyone to get together."

She sighed.

"It's been so long since graduation. The more I work, the more I realize how precious old classmates are. But... this reunion wasn't what I hoped for."

I tried to comfort her.

"Maybe our expectations were out of date. But maybe it's for the best. Some paths just aren't meant to cross again."

I glanced back toward the crowd gathered around the grave mounds…and saw them pulling the five yellow weasels out from the hole—wrapped in clothing and beaten to death.

A chill ran down my spine.

In that moment, I couldn't help but wonder…

What's scarier?The yellow weasels—or human nature itself?