Huo Huan, styled Kuangjiu, was from Shanxi Province. His father, a former county magistrate, died early. Huo, the youngest child, was exceptionally bright. At eleven, he passed the imperial examinations with distinction, earning the title of a prodigy. However, his overprotective mother never let him leave home, leaving him naive in worldly matters.

In his village lived a Taoist enthusiast, Judge Wu, who disappeared into the mountains in search of Taoist wisdom. Wu had a daughter, Qing'e, known for her unmatched beauty. Inspired by the legendary He Xiangu, one of the Eight Immortals, Qing'e vowed to remain unmarried after her father's disappearance, much to her mother's dismay.

One day, young Huo caught a glimpse of Qing'e and was smitten, though he couldn't express his feelings. He asked his mother to propose marriage on his behalf, but knowing of Qing'e's vow, she hesitated. Seeing her son's dejection, she reluctantly approached the Wu family, who predictably refused the proposal. Huo became obsessed with Qing'e, unable to think of anything else.

A Taoist priest passing by Huo's home caught his attention with a small iron shovel, capable of penetrating even the hardest stone. Amazed, Huo eagerly accepted the shovel as a gift from the priest.

Huo used the shovel to dig a tunnel into the Wu residence, unaware of the legal implications of his actions. One night, he sneaked into Qing'e's room, lying beside her without waking her, content just to be near her. Exhausted, he fell asleep.

Qing'e awoke to find a hole in her wall and Huo asleep beside her. Panicked, she called her servants, who recognized Huo. He tearfully confessed his love for Qing'e, showing them the shovel. The servants, half-afraid, half-awed, suggested that Huo leave and formally propose marriage later. Qing'e silently agreed.

Huo left, secretly taking a phoenix hairpin from Qing'e's pillow. When discovered, Qing'e showed no anger, intriguing her servants. Huo's mother, unaware of his nocturnal adventure, continued seeking a match for him. Qing'e, distressed, indirectly expressed her willingness to marry Huo.

However, when a matchmaker approached the Wu family, Mrs. Wu, enraged by the rumors of the previous incident, vehemently refused the match. Huo's mother, equally furious upon learning the truth, publicly denounced the Wu family. Qing'e, shamed, wished to disappear.

Meanwhile, the county magistrate, impressed by Huo's literary talent, favored him greatly. Learning of Huo's single status and his past engagement to Qing'e, the magistrate offered to help. He successfully arranged the marriage, and Qing'e, once brought into Huo's home, disdainfully threw away the iron shovel, labeling it a tool of thieves. Huo, amused, kept it as a memento.

Qing'e proved to be a kind, quiet wife, excelling in household management during her mother-in-law's absences. After a year, she gave birth to a son, Mengxian, but seemed detached from him. Years later, she mysteriously declared their impending separation and died soon after.

Huo's mother, now old and ailing, longed for fish soup, a rare delicacy in their region. Huo, devoted to her, set out to procure it, enduring a difficult journey. On his way back, an old man healed his blistered feet and suggested a potential bride in a distant village. Huo, preoccupied with his mother's illness, declined the offer.

After his mother's recovery, Huo sought the old man but found neither him nor the village. Lost and exhausted, he fell off a cliff but miraculously landed on a narrow ledge. Finding refuge in a cave, he stumbled upon a radiant house inhabited by Qing'e, who revealed they were in an immortal realm and that she hadn't truly died.

Qing'e's father initially welcomed Huo but later expelled him for his earthly desires. Huo, defiant, insisted on taking Qing'e with him. Qing'e, reappearing at Huo's side, escaped with him on magical horses.

Back home, Huo's mother was overjoyed but shocked by Qing'e's return. Fearing gossip, Qing'e suggested moving away. They lived quietly for eighteen years, raising a daughter who married into a local family. After Huo's mother's death, Qing'e advised burying her in a special place and remaining there. Huo complied, but when their son Mengxian visited, his parents had vanished.