Born into a scholarly family, Pu Songling initially sought to enter officialdom through the imperial examination system. Unfortunately, after many attempts, he did not pass and was relegated to earning a living by teaching. From a young age, he had a strong interest in folk tales about ghosts and spirits. It is said that in order to collect material for his writings, Pu Songling opened a teahouse near his home, where patrons could pay for their tea by telling him a story. Utilizing this method, he gathered a vast array of extraordinary tales which, after refining and editing, he included in his work “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio”.