"Eerie shadows" is a series of short stories set in the fictional city of Manhua, China. In this short story, the protagonist's mother, who is the sister-in- law of the protagonist, is distraught over her son's sudden death. The protagonist is a young man who has just married his first wife. He is also the son of a wealthy family. His mother is the widow of a rich man who is a member of the Manhua aristocracy. The uncle of the young man is angry at his son for leaving his mother to die alone. He tells the protagonist that he should not be too sad, otherwise he will be depressed in the afterlife. The young man tells his mother that he does not know anyone who can do a necromancy, which is a kind of marriage ceremony in which the body is exhumed and the corpse is buried. He also tells her that the body cannot be cremated in less than three days because the law stipulates that a body should be cremated within 49 days of its death. He says that he has an acquaintance at the crematorium who can handle the procedures. He explains that the money for the funeral is mostly for the parents of the bride, who were the only daughter of the rich man. He then tells his son that he will find a place for them in the basement of his house.