At the beginning of the last century.
No one knew whether that year fell during the Guangxu era or the Republican era.
There was a wealthy household in Lin City surnamed Luo. Its master, Luo Baichuan, was a local rich man.
The Luo Residence housed over thirty people. To be able to support so many people in those days, the Luo family naturally had both wealth and influence.
Luo Baichuan had taken seven wives and concubines. With so many women, conflicts were bound to arise. Especially after the first wife, the principal wife, passed away, the remaining concubines stirred up trouble and quarreled every day, leaving the Luo Residence without a moment's peace.
They quarreled, of course, to compete for his favor. Master Luo Baichuan was a man who thought with his lower half, spending every day indulging in women and pleasure. He could not concern himself with too much, and as long as they did not come to blows, he stayed out of the women's disputes.
But something did eventually happen. According to the records, the one involved was the youngest concubine, the Seventh Concubine.
One morning, a maid from the household went to draw water from the well. She had just leaned over to lower the bucket when she saw a pair of eyes in the well staring straight at her.
The owner of those eyes had a pale face and floated on the surface of the water, looking as though she had died with a grievance. It was none other than the household's Seventh Concubine.
The maid was naturally terrified. She immediately screamed and called all the other servants over, then sent someone to notify the master that the Seventh Concubine had drowned in the well.
Luo Baichuan hurried over to look and was badly frightened himself.