The story begins with an old medicine seller who had hung up a gourd over his storefront and used to jump into it after closing shop. This secret was known to no one except Fei Ch'ang-fang, who lived upstairs.
故事始於一位賣藥的老翁，他懸一壺於店頭，打烊後即跳入壺中；別人都不知道這個秘密，只有住在樓上的費長房瞧見了。