At the start of the tale, we are introduced to Tsieou-Sien, a devoted gardener who prefers the beauty of his flowers to worldly affairs. After a series of uninvited intrusions from the unscrupulous Tchang-Oey and his companions, Tsieou-Sien is bullied and his beloved flowers are threatened. Despite the initial chaos and destruction levied upon his garden, a mysterious young girl, who reveals herself as an immortal, restores his flowers and offers him a deeper connection to the natural world. The opening sets the stage for themes of compassion versus cruelty, and the interplay between benevolence and the retribution of fate, which weave throughout this enchanting collection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)