"Midnight Hairwash Taboo"

The protagonist, an employee in a factory named Wuli, is facing tough times. The factory is struggling, and the manager is considering layoffs to save costs. Although the list of employees to be laid off hasn’t been decided yet, everyone in the workshop is on edge. Wuli has been divorced for two years, and her child lives with her ex-husband. She still has to pay child support every month, and with the rent and daily expenses, her salary barely covers the costs. If she gets laid off, she doesn't know what she'll do.

Wuli is a diligent and hardworking employee, and her manager once praised her for her dedication, which helped keep the factory's projects from stalling. Despite her efforts, she knows her chances of being laid off are high, so she works even harder, hoping to stay employed.

One evening, after working overtime, Wuli is the last one to leave the factory. The red and green lights of the machines glow in the dimly lit corridor. She hurries out of the factory and finally sees the dim streetlights outside, feeling a bit of relief. Her home isn’t far, but the area is quite isolated. Wuli rides her bicycle along the empty road back home.

When she reaches a bridge, she feels uneasy. She had heard that a young girl had jumped into the river from the bridge and drowned not long ago. Wuli pedals faster to get past it quickly, but suddenly, she hears someone call her name. She gets scared and remembers an old warning: “If you hear someone call your name in the middle of the night, don’t look back, because it’s a ghost’s voice.”

She suppresses her fear and doesn’t turn around. Instead, she shouts, “Who’s there? What do you want?” But there’s no response. Wuli feels uneasy and pedals even faster, eager to get home. When she reaches her doorstep, she looks around nervously and shouts, “I worship the Guanyin deity in my home. If you follow me, it’s useless. Just leave!” She hears a faint sigh and quickly enters her house.

It’s nearly midnight when she gets inside. Exhausted, she wants to rest, but her hair is greasy, and she knows she has to work again tomorrow. So, she decides to wash her hair. She undoes her hair, and the warm water from the tap flows over her scalp. Though it feels refreshing, her hair is very dry. After washing, she applies conditioner, wraps her head in a towel, and sits on the couch waiting.

She turns on the TV but is too tired to focus. She switches channels absentmindedly until she sees a shadow standing behind the couch. She gets startled and quickly changes the channel, but the shadow disappears. Thinking it’s just her imagination, she continues switching channels. Eventually, she gets sleepy and turns off the TV, planning to wash out the conditioner.

By now, it’s already past midnight. After rinsing out the conditioner, Wuli dries her hair with a towel. Feeling tired, she skips blow-drying and heads to bed. She falls asleep quickly. In her half-conscious state, she feels like she gets up, opens the door, and walks outside. The cold night air brushes against her wet hair as she walks toward the factory.

She is unsure whether she is dreaming or actually walking to the factory. She feels awake, but her body moves on its own, as if she cannot control it. She is terrified and realizes she shouldn’t be walking to the factory at this hour. Suddenly, a chilling voice calls from behind, “Didn’t think you’d wake up. Tonight, you’ll die.” Wuli turns around and sees a ghostly figure, a woman with disheveled hair.

Her heart races in fear. “What does washing my hair have to do with this?” she asks in panic. The ghost replies with a sinister laugh, “You don’t know? People have three flames—one on each shoulder and one on top of the head. As long as these flames are burning, ghosts cannot get close. But if you wash your hair in the middle of the night and don’t dry it, the flames will go out, and I can approach you.”

Wuli finally understands that she is being targeted by the ghost. Terrified, she struggles to escape, but her body still moves against her will. The ghost drags her toward the bridge and into the river. Wuli sinks, unable to fight back, and disappears beneath the water.

The next morning, early risers find her body, her face contorted in agony. The water has bloated and pale her body, and no one can recognize her.

The story ends here, serving as a warning to those who wash their hair in the middle of the night: Be cautious, as there could be unseen dangers lurking.