本文從物質文化的角度，特別是人們蓋給鬼魂歇息的建築－「三片壁」－來重新思考漢人的鬼魂概念。從三片壁的建築、名稱、內部宗教器物、以及相關儀式的探討，本文說明漢人對鬼的概念如何具有個體傾向、反社會、以及聚合時以單一性別為主的思考方式。這些概念是本文「鬼母找女婿」故事的基調。在過去人類學文獻所描述的人鬼關係中，鬼多半被鋪陳為人類的「麻煩製造者」：它們不是需要人們憐憫的乞丐，就是沒有道德概念的盜匪。「鬼母找女婿」的故事則相反地透露了人鬼關係的另一個重要面向－即，人們在貪婪的驅使下如何跨越空間與時間的界限，逼迫鬼魂滿足個人自私的慾望。透過戲劇化的性別對比，這個故事傳遞了人們對逐利、貪婪的嘲弄與譴責。

This article, inspired by material culture studies, reconsiders the concept of ghost by means of a detailed analysis of a particular type of religious architecture, the ghost shrine. By studying its material composition, naming and rites, I show how ghosts are conceived of as asocial and individual beings, gathering mostly in single-sexed groups. This forms the basis for understanding the incidence of a "ghost mother wanting a human son-in-law". In contrast to previous research which describes human-ghost relations from the perspective of the trouble-making and threatening roles of ghosts, this story importantly shows that it is not only ghosts who take advantage of human beings. Motivated by greed, humans also cross the spatial boundary separating humans and ghosts to coerce the latter for their own selfish ends. By dramatizing the gender contrast of ghosts and humans, the story of the ghost mother epitomizes people's ridicule and condemnation of human greed.