Gan Yu, also known as Bi Ren, was from Luling County. His parents had passed away, leaving behind his younger brother, Gan Jue, also known as Shuang Bi, who was raised by Gan Yu since the age of five. Gan Yu was loving and treated his younger brother as his own son. As Gan Jue grew up, he became handsome and intelligent, excelling in his studies and winning the admiration of Gan Yu. Gan Jue often said, 'My younger brother is outstanding in both appearance and talent. I must find him a good wife.' However, due to being overly picky, he had not found a satisfactory match.
At this time, Gan Yu was studying in a temple on Kuangshan Mountain. One night, just as he lay down, he heard the voice of a woman outside his window. He secretly looked out and saw three or four young women sitting on the ground, with several maidservants serving food and wine. They were all exceptionally beautiful. One of the women said, 'Qin Madam, why hasn't A Ying come?' The woman sitting below replied, 'Yesterday, she was injured in her right arm by a wicked person when she came from Hangu Pass. She couldn't come with us, and she is regretful.' Another woman said, 'I had a nightmare the night before yesterday, and it still scares me when I think about it.' The woman below quickly shook her hand and said, 'Don't say it! Don't say it! We are gathering tonight to have fun. Talking about scary things will ruin the mood.' The woman laughed and said, 'Look at how timid you are! Are you really afraid of being carried away by tigers and wolves? If you don't let me speak, you must sing a song to entertain us.' The woman then sang softly, 'The peach blossoms on the idle steps bloom again, but the date for our outing has not been set. I told the girl next door to wait a little longer, and she should wear her phoenix-headed shoes when she comes.' After singing, everyone praised her. Just as they were chatting and laughing, a tall man burst in from outside. His eyes were like those of a hawk, shining brightly, and his appearance was ugly and terrifying. The women cried out, 'A monster has come!' and scattered like frightened birds. Only the woman who had just sung the song remained, but she was caught by the man. The woman cried out in pain and struggled desperately. The man angrily roared and bit off her finger, chewing on it. The woman lay on the ground, motionless like a dead person. Gan Yu's heart was filled with compassion and he could no longer bear it. He quickly drew his sword, opened the door, and rushed towards the man, cutting off his thigh. The man, in pain, fled. Gan Yu helped the woman into the house and saw that her face was pale and her sleeves were soaked in blood. He looked at her hand and saw that her right thumb was already severed. Gan Yu tore off a piece of cloth, wrapped it around her hand, and the woman moaned, 'How can I repay you for saving my life?' Since Gan Yu saw her, he had secretly planned for his younger brother and told her his intentions. The woman said, 'As a disabled person like me, I can no longer take care of household chores. We should find someone else for your younger brother.' Gan Yu asked for her surname, and the woman replied, 'Qin.' Gan Yu prepared a bed for her and let her rest here temporarily, while he went to sleep elsewhere with a blanket. The next morning, Gan Yu came to see the woman, but the bed was already empty. Gan Yu thought she must have gone back on her own. However, after visiting the nearby villages, there was no one surnamed Qin. He also asked relatives and friends, but there was no definite news. When he returned and told his younger brother about it, he regretted it as if he had lost a precious treasure.
One day, Gan Jue happened to be playing in the wilderness and met a beautiful girl of fifteen or sixteen. She smiled at Gan Jue as if she had something to say. She looked around and asked Gan Jue, 'Are you the second son of the Gan family?' Gan Jue replied, 'Yes.' The girl said, 'Your father once promised you to me. Because my family was poor, we moved to a distant place and lost contact with the Gan family. I just returned recently and heard that the Gan family is considering breaking the engagement. I want to ask Uncle Gan Bi Ren how to arrange things for me.' Gan Yu was pleasantly surprised and said, 'Gan Bi Ren is me. I didn't know about the engagement that my late father made. Since we are not far from home, please come to my house to discuss further.' So he got off his horse, handed the reins to the girl, and let her ride while he walked and led the horse back home. The girl introduced herself, 'My nickname is A Ying. I have no brothers, only a cousin named Qin Shi who lives with me.' Gan Yu then realized that A Ying was the beautiful woman his younger brother had met. Gan Yu wanted to inform his family, but A Ying stopped him. Gan Yu secretly rejoiced that his younger brother had found such a handsome wife, but he was also afraid that she might be frivolous and attract gossip. However, after living together for a long time, A Ying was very dignified and gentle, and she spoke eloquently. She treated her sister-in-law like a mother, and her sister-in-law also liked her very much.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Gan Yu and his wife were enjoying their meal and chatting. His sister-in-law sent someone to call A Ying. Gan Jue felt a little unhappy. A Ying asked the messenger to go back first, saying that she would be there soon. However, she sat there and chatted with Gan Jue for a long time, showing no intention of leaving. Gan Jue urged her repeatedly. A Ying just smiled and still didn't go.
Early the next morning, just as A Ying finished dressing up, his sister-in-law came to greet her personally and asked, 'Why were you not happy when we were together last night?' A Ying smiled slightly but didn't say anything. Gan Jue found it strange and asked again, discovering the flaw. His sister-in-law was shocked and said, 'If it's not a monster, how could there be a doppelgänger?' Gan Yu also became afraid and told A Ying through the curtain, 'Our family has been virtuous and kind for generations, and we have never had any grudges with others. If you really are a monster, please leave immediately and don't harm my younger brother!' A Ying, feeling embarrassed, said, 'I was originally not human, but because of the engagement made by my late father-in-law, Qin Shi also persuaded me to come and fulfill the marriage. I understand that I cannot bear children. I once thought of leaving you all; the reason I hesitated to leave is because my brother and sister-in-law treated me so well. Now that I am suspected, let us part ways forever!' After speaking, she instantly transformed into a parrot and flew away. In the past, when Gan's father was alive, he raised a very intelligent parrot, and Gan's father often fed it personally. At that time, Gan Jue was only four or five years old and asked his father, 'Why do we raise birds?' Gan's father jokingly said, 'To be your wife, of course.' Sometimes when the parrot didn't have any food to eat, Gan's father would call Gan Jue and say, 'Why don't you give food to the parrot? It's starving your wife!' The family also teased Gan Jue with this remark. Later, the parrot broke free from its chain and flew away, and no one knew where it went. Gan Yu realized that the engagement the woman mentioned referred to this. However, Gan Jue, knowing that she was not human, still had feelings for her. His sister-in-law also had stronger feelings and cried bitterly every day. Gan Yu deeply regretted it but was helpless.
Two years later, Gan Yu married Jiang Shi for his younger brother, but Gan Jue still felt dissatisfied. Gan's brothers had a cousin who served as a magistrate in Guangdong. Gan Yu went to visit him and stayed there for a long time without returning. At this time, their hometown was plagued by bandits, and nearby villages were mostly reduced to ruins. Gan Jue was very afraid and led his family to hide in a valley. Many people sought refuge in the valley, and no one knew each other. Gan Jue suddenly heard a woman whispering, and her voice sounded like A Ying. His sister-in-law urged him to go and see her, so Gan Jue hid and waited for her. Soon enough, A Ying arrived as expected, and Gan Jue suddenly appeared and intercepted her, insisting that she come to his room. A Ying said, 'Our fate is over. Forcing us to be together may incur heavenly punishment. It's better to leave some room for ourselves so that we can still meet often in the future, what do you think?' Gan Jue didn't listen and had intimate relations with her. After daybreak, A Ying went to see his sister-in-law, who scolded her for not coming last night. A Ying smiled and said, 'I was kidnapped by bandits on the way and kept Sister-in-law waiting all night for nothing.' After a few words, she turned and left. Not long after, a large civet cat carried a parrot and passed by the door of his sister-in-law's bedroom. His sister-in-law was shocked and suspected that the parrot was A Ying. At that time, his sister-in-law was washing her hair and quickly called out. The family rushed in and managed to save it. The parrot's left wing was covered in blood and barely alive. His sister-in-law placed it on her lap and gently stroked it until it gradually regained consciousness and tidied its wings with its beak. After a while, the parrot flew in circles in the house and said loudly, 'Sister-in-law, farewell! I blame Gan Jue!' It flapped its wings and flew away, never to return again.