話說孫二虎聽說許景魁已然招了，他這才說：「老爺不必動刑，我招了。原本我時常去找許先生借錢。他那一天就說，孫二虎，你是財主。我說，我怎么是財主？他說，你叔伯哥哥死了，你勸你嫂子改嫁，他家裡有三萬銀子家主。她帶一萬走，分給各族一萬，你還得一萬呢。你豈不是財主？，凡事謀事在人，成事在天。我就向我嫂子一說，我嫂子罵了我一頓。從此不準我再說這話。後來許先生常問我說了未說，我一想，他媳婦死了，他必是要我嫂子，我就冤他。我說，我給你說說。他說是為我發財，他倒不打算要我嫂子。我又一說，他說怕我嫂子不願意。我說，我給你說著瞧，他就答應了。我仗著這件事，常去向他借錢。這天他說，二虎你常跟我借錢，你倒是跟你嫂子說了沒有？我說，你死了心罷，我嫂子不嫁人。他說他瞧見我嫂子門前買線肚子大，其中必有緣故。他又說，二虎，我給你一口刀，你去問你嫂子，她這肚子大是怎么一段情節？你嫂子要說私通了人，你把她攆出去，家私豈不是你的？我一想也對。我這才拿刀到我嫂子家去，偏巧僕婦都沒在家。我正在問我嫂子，雷鳴、陳亮把我勸出來。我跟許先生一提，他說不要緊。他跟刑房杜先生相好，他叫我把腦袋拍了來喊告。他暗中給托，管保我官司打贏了，把雷鳴、陳亮治了罪。這是已往從前真情實話。」
话说孙二虎听说许景魁已然招了，他这才说：「老爷不必动刑，我招了。原本我时常去找许先生借钱。他那一天就说，孙二虎，你是财主。我说，我怎么是财主？他说，你叔伯哥哥死了，你劝你嫂子改嫁，他家里有三万银子家主。她带一万走，分给各族一万，你还得一万呢。你岂不是财主？，凡事谋事在人，成事在天。我就向我嫂子一说，我嫂子骂了我一顿。从此不准我再说这话。后来许先生常问我说了未说，我一想，他媳妇死了，他必是要我嫂子，我就冤他。我说，我给你说说。他说是为我发财，他倒不打算要我嫂子。我又一说，他说怕我嫂子不愿意。我说，我给你说着瞧，他就答应了。我仗着这件事，常去向他借钱。这天他说，二虎你常跟我借钱，你倒是跟你嫂子说了没有？我说，你死了心罢，我嫂子不嫁人。他说他瞧见我嫂子门前买线肚子大，其中必有缘故。他又说，二虎，我给你一口刀，你去问你嫂子，她这肚子大是怎么一段情节？你嫂子要说私通了人，你把她撵出去，家私岂不是你的？我一想也对。我这才拿刀到我嫂子家去，偏巧仆妇都没在家。我正在问我嫂子，雷鸣、陈亮把我劝出来。我跟许先生一提，他说不要紧。他跟刑房杜先生相好，他叫我把脑袋拍了来喊告。他暗中给托，管保我官司打赢了，把雷鸣、陈亮治了罪。这是已往从前真情实话。」
Now, when Sun Erhu heard that Xu Jingkui had already confessed, he said at last, “No need for torture, Your Honour. I confess. It started with me always going to Mr. Xu to borrow money. One day he says, ‘Sun Erhu, you’re a rich man.’ I say, ‘How am I a rich man?’ He says, ‘Your cousin is dead. Talk your sister-in-law into marrying again. There’s thirty thousand taels of property in that house. She takes ten thousand with her, ten thousand gets shared out among the clan, and you still get ten thousand. Doesn’t that make you a rich man?’ Man proposes, Heaven disposes, as they say. So I put it to my sister-in-law, and she gave me a good tongue-lashing and forbade me ever to say such a thing again. After that Mr. Xu kept asking me whether I’d said anything to her. I thought, his wife’s dead, he must want my sister-in-law for himself, so I strung him along. I said, ‘I’ll put in a word for you.’ He said it was all to make me rich; he had no thought of taking my sister-in-law himself. I said it again, and he said he was afraid she wouldn’t be willing. I said, ‘I’ll put it to her for you and we’ll see,’ and he agreed. On the strength of that I went to him for loans all the time. Then the other day he says, ‘Erhu, you’re always borrowing money from me. Have you talked to your sister-in-law or haven’t you?’ I say, ‘Forget it. My sister-in-law won’t marry.’ He says he saw my sister-in-law at her gate buying thread, and her belly was big, and there must be something behind it. Then he says, ‘Erhu, I’ll give you a knife. Go and ask your sister-in-law what the story is with that big belly of hers. If she says she’s been carrying on with some man, you throw her out, and then won’t the property be yours?’ I thought, that’s right enough. So I took the knife to my sister-in-law’s house, and as luck would have it the maidservants were all out. I was right in the middle of asking my sister-in-law when Lei Ming and Chen Liang talked me out of there. I told Mr. Xu, and he said it didn’t matter. He was good friends with Mr. Du of the Criminal Office, and he told me to smash my own head and come and cry for justice. He’d pull strings for me on the quiet, and he guaranteed I’d win my case and get Lei Ming and Chen Liang convicted. That’s the whole truth of what happened.”
老爺叫招房先生把供寫了，立刻連孫康氏、許景魁一併帶上堂來。叫招房先生當了大眾一念供，許景魁嚇得顏色改變。老爺把驚堂木一拍說：「許景魁，你是念書的人，竟敢謀奪孀婦，調唆人家的家務，你知法犯法，你是認打認罰？」許景魁說：「認打怎么樣？認罰怎么樣？」老爺說：「認打我要重重的辦你。認罰我打你一百戒尺，給你留臉，罰你三千銀子，給孫康氏修貞節牌坊。」許景魁說：「醫生情願認罰。」老爺吩咐，立刻打了許景魁一百戒尺，當堂具結，派官人押著去取銀子。老爺說：「孫二虎，你這廝無故妄告，持刀行兇，欺辱寡婦，圖謀家產。來人！拉下去打四十大板。」照宋朝例，枷號一百日釋放。知縣這才說：「聖僧，你看孫康氏這肚子怎么辦？」和尚說：「她這肚子是胎。」知縣說：「聖僧不要取笑，她是三年的寡婦，哪裡有胎？」和尚說：「老爺不信，叫她當堂分娩。此胎有些不同。」老爺說：「別在大堂分娩。」
老爷叫招房先生把供写了，立刻连孙康氏、许景魁一并带上堂来。叫招房先生当了大众一念供，许景魁吓得颜色改变。老爷把惊堂木一拍说：「许景魁，你是念书的人，竟敢谋夺孀妇，调唆人家的家务，你知法犯法，你是认打认罚？」许景魁说：「认打怎么样？认罚怎么样？」老爷说：「认打我要重重的办你。认罚我打你一百戒尺，给你留脸，罚你三千银子，给孙康氏修贞节牌坊。」许景魁说：「医生情愿认罚。」老爷吩咐，立刻打了许景魁一百戒尺，当堂具结，派官人押着去取银子。老爷说：「孙二虎，你这厮无故妄告，持刀行凶，欺辱寡妇，图谋家产。来人！拉下去打四十大板。」照宋朝例，枷号一百日释放。知县这才说：「圣僧，你看孙康氏这肚子怎么办？」和尚说：「她这肚子是胎。」知县说：「圣僧不要取笑，她是三年的寡妇，哪里有胎？」和尚说：「老爷不信，叫她当堂分娩。此胎有些不同。」老爷说：「别在大堂分娩。」
His Honour had the record clerk write down the confession, and at once had Madam Sun and Xu Jingkui brought up into the hall as well. He had the record clerk read the confession aloud before them all, and Xu Jingkui went pale with fright. His Honour slammed down the gavel block. “Xu Jingkui,” he said, “you are a man of learning, and yet you dared to scheme after a widow and stir up trouble in another family’s affairs. You know the law and you broke it. Will you take a beating or pay a fine?” “What if I take the beating?” said Xu Jingkui. “And what if I pay the fine?” “If you take the beating,” said His Honour, “I shall deal with you severely. If you pay the fine, I shall give you a hundred strokes of the ruler, to spare your face, and fine you three thousand taels of silver to build Madam Sun a chastity arch.” “This physician will gladly pay the fine,” said Xu Jingkui. At His Honour’s order, Xu Jingkui was given his hundred strokes of the ruler on the spot and put his name to a pledge there in the court, and runners were sent to take him under guard to fetch the silver. “Sun Erhu,” said His Honour, “you wretch, you brought false charges for no cause, took up a knife to do violence, bullied a widow and plotted to seize her property. Men! Take him down and give him forty strokes of the heavy board.” By the statutes of the Song dynasty, he was then to wear the cangue for a hundred days before he was let go. Only then did the magistrate say, “Holy monk, what do you make of Madam Sun’s belly? What is to be done about it?” “That belly of hers is a pregnancy,” said the monk. “Don’t joke, holy monk,” said the magistrate. “She has been a widow for three years. How could she be with child?” “If Your Honour doesn’t believe me,” said the monk, “have her deliver it right here in court. This pregnancy is a little out of the ordinary.” “Not in the main hall!” said His Honour.
和尚給了一塊藥，派官媒帶到空房去生產。官媒帶下去，來到空房，把藥吃下去，立刻生下了一個血胎，有西瓜大小，血蛋一個。官媒拿到大堂，給老爺瞧。和尚一掩面說：「拿下去。」知縣說：「這是什麼？」和尚說：「此是血胎，乃是氣裹血而成。婦人以經血為主，一個月不來為疾經，二個月不來為病經。三個月不來為經閉，七個月不來為乾血勞。這宗血胎，也是一個月一長。」老爺這才明白，吩咐把孫康氏送回家去。知縣又問：「聖僧，現在雷鳴、陳亮這二人又怎么辦。方才在大堂之前，雷鳴咆哮公堂，亮刀行兇，我正要提惲芳，正值聖僧來了。」和尚說：「那一天我走時，在簽筒底下留了一張字，老爺一看就明白了。」知縣挪開簽筒一瞧，果然有一張字柬。老爺打開一看，上面寫的是四句話：
和尚给了一块药，派官媒带到空房去生产。官媒带下去，来到空房，把药吃下去，立刻生下了一个血胎，有西瓜大小，血蛋一个。官媒拿到大堂，给老爷瞧。和尚一掩面说：「拿下去。」知县说：「这是什么？」和尚说：「此是血胎，乃是气裹血而成。妇人以经血为主，一个月不来为疾经，二个月不来为病经。三个月不来为经闭，七个月不来为干血劳。这宗血胎，也是一个月一长。」老爷这才明白，吩咐把孙康氏送回家去。知县又问：「圣僧，现在雷鸣、陈亮这二人又怎么办。方才在大堂之前，雷鸣咆哮公堂，亮刀行凶，我正要提恽芳，正值圣僧来了。」和尚说：「那一天我走时，在签筒底下留了一张字，老爷一看就明白了。」知县挪开签筒一瞧，果然有一张字柬。老爷打开一看，上面写的是四句话：
The monk gave her a piece of medicine, and the official matchmakers were sent to take her to an empty room to give birth. The matchmakers led her away to the empty room. She swallowed the medicine and at once brought forth a blood fetus the size of a watermelon: a single ball of blood. The matchmakers carried it into the hall to show His Honour. The monk covered his face. “Take it away,” he said. “What is it?” said the magistrate. “It is a blood fetus,” said the monk. “It forms when qi wraps itself around blood. In a woman everything turns on the menses. If they fail to come for one month, that is a disordered flow; for two months, a sick flow; for three months, a blocked flow; for seven months, the dry-blood consumption. A blood fetus like this one grows a little each month, too.” Only now did His Honour understand, and he ordered Madam Sun sent home. Then the magistrate asked, “Holy monk, what is to be done about these two, Lei Ming and Chen Liang? A little while ago, before the bench, Lei Ming raised an uproar in court and bared his knife to do violence. I was about to have Yun Fang brought up when you arrived, holy monk.” “The day I left,” said the monk, “I left a note under the tally holder. Take a look, Your Honour, and you’ll understand.” The magistrate moved the tally holder aside and looked, and sure enough, there was a note. His Honour opened it and read it. Four lines were written on it: