話說鬼卒把張士芳往油鍋里一捺，張士芳嚇得「哎喲」了一聲，一睜眼原來是南柯一夢。自己還在屋裡床上躺著，嚇得一身汗，被褥都濕了。剛一睜眼，就聽和尚那裡嚷：「可了不得了，心疼死我了，我的張大哥。」張士芳道：「李賢弟，你嚷什麼？」和尚說：「我做了一個怕夢，夢見來了兩個官人，把你鎖了去見閻王爺。閻王爺叫鬼卒帶你游地獄，我在後面跟著。你游完了地獄，閻王爺說你害王員外，又不知還想害什麼人，我瞧把你捺在油鍋里，炸了個嘣脆透酥，把我嚇醒了。」張士芳一聽：「怪呀，怎么我做的夢他知道呢？」自己心裡又一想：「做夢是心頭想，哪有這些事呢？還是得想法子把他們兩個人害了，我才能發財。不然，是不行。」心裡想著，又睡著了，照樣又是一夢。這回沒往油鍋里捺，往刀山上一捺，又嚇醒了，又是一身冷汗。如是三次，張士芳嚇的心中亂跳。聽外面天交三鼓，張士芳一想：「我別在這睡了，這屋子有毛病，再睡得把我嚇死。」想罷，翻身爬起來說：「二位賢弟你們睡吧，我要走了。」王全也醒了說：「張大哥，半夜三更你上哪去？」張士芳說：「你別管，我是不在這了。」王全說：「既然如此，你叫家人開門。」
话说鬼卒把张士芳往油锅里一捺，张士芳吓得「哎哟」了一声，一睁眼原来是南柯一梦。自己还在屋里床上躺着，吓得一身汗，被褥都湿了。刚一睁眼，就听和尚那里嚷：「可了不得了，心疼死我了，我的张大哥。」张士芳道：「李贤弟，你嚷什么？」和尚说：「我做了一个怕梦，梦见来了两个官人，把你锁了去见阎王爷。阎王爷叫鬼卒带你游地狱，我在后面跟着。你游完了地狱，阎王爷说你害王员外，又不知还想害什么人，我瞧把你捺在油锅里，炸了个嘣脆透酥，把我吓醒了。」张士芳一听：「怪呀，怎么我做的梦他知道呢？」自己心里又一想：「做梦是心头想，哪有这些事呢？还是得想法子把他们两个人害了，我才能发财。不然，是不行。」心里想着，又睡着了，照样又是一梦。这回没往油锅里捺，往刀山上一捺，又吓醒了，又是一身冷汗。如是三次，张士芳吓的心中乱跳。听外面天交三鼓，张士芳一想：「我别在这睡了，这屋子有毛病，再睡得把我吓死。」想罢，翻身爬起来说：「二位贤弟你们睡吧，我要走了。」王全也醒了说：「张大哥，半夜三更你上哪去？」张士芳说：「你别管，我是不在这了。」王全说：「既然如此，你叫家人开门。」
Now, the ghost runner flung Zhang Shifang into the oil cauldron, and Zhang Shifang cried out “Aiyo!” in terror. He opened his eyes: it had all been a dream of Nanke. He was still lying on the bed in the room, so frightened that he had broken out in a sweat that soaked the bedding. The moment he opened his eyes, he heard the monk over there shouting, “Oh, this is terrible! My heart aches fit to kill me — my Brother Zhang!” “Younger Brother Li,” said Zhang Shifang, “what are you shouting about?” “I had a nightmare,” said the monk. “I dreamed two officers came, put you in chains and took you before King Yama. King Yama had a ghost runner take you on a tour of the hells, and I followed along behind. When you’d finished touring the hells, King Yama said you’d done harm to Squire Wang, and who knows who else you were thinking of harming. I watched them fling you into the oil cauldron and fry you crackling crisp right through, and it scared me awake.” When Zhang Shifang heard this, he thought, “Strange! How does he know what I dreamed?” Then he thought again: “Dreams are only what’s on your mind. How could there be any such thing? I still have to find a way to do the two of them in, and then I’ll be rich. Otherwise it’s no good.” Thinking this, he fell asleep again, and dreamed the same dream all over again. This time they didn’t fling him into the oil cauldron; they flung him onto the Mountain of Knives, and again he woke in terror, again in a cold sweat. Three times it went like this, until Zhang Shifang’s heart was pounding wildly. He heard the third watch sounding outside and thought, “I’d better not sleep here. There’s something wrong with this room. If I sleep any more it’ll frighten me to death.” With that he rolled over, scrambled up and said, “You two brothers go on sleeping. I’m off.” Wang Quan woke too and said, “Brother Zhang, where are you going in the middle of the night?” “Never you mind,” said Zhang Shifang. “I’m not staying here, that’s all.” “If that’s how it is,” said Wang Quan, “have the servants open the gate for you.”
張士芳穿好了衣裳，跑出來叫家人開門。眾人都剛睡著了，起來給他開門關好，沒有一個不罵他，本來這小子素常就不得人心。張士芳出了永寧村，一直來到海棠橋，抬頭一看，秋月當空，水光似鏡，正在殘秋景況，金風飄灑，樹尖枝葉都發黃了。再一看橋下，一汪秋水，冷嗖嗖真望東流。夜深人靜，雞犬無聲，張士芳站在橋上，自己一想：「半夜三更上哪兒呢，莫若到勾欄院去，可以住一夜。」自己正在心中思想，忽聽北邊樹林之內，有婦人啼哭的聲音。張士芳順著聲音找去，到切近一看，果然是一個少婦，也不過至大有二十齡，嬌滴滴的聲音，哭得透著悲慘的了不得。
张士芳穿好了衣裳，跑出来叫家人开门。众人都刚睡着了，起来给他开门关好，没有一个不骂他，本来这小子素常就不得人心。张士芳出了永宁村，一直来到海棠桥，抬头一看，秋月当空，水光似镜，正在残秋景况，金风飘洒，树尖枝叶都发黄了。再一看桥下，一汪秋水，冷嗖嗖真望东流。夜深人静，鸡犬无声，张士芳站在桥上，自己一想：「半夜三更上哪儿呢，莫若到勾栏院去，可以住一夜。」自己正在心中思想，忽听北边树林之内，有妇人啼哭的声音。张士芳顺着声音找去，到切近一看，果然是一个少妇，也不过至大有二十龄，娇滴滴的声音，哭得透着悲惨的了不得。
Zhang Shifang got his clothes on and ran out to have the servants open the gate. They had all only just fallen asleep; they got up, opened the gate for him and shut it behind him, and not one of them failed to curse him — the young wretch had never been liked by anyone. Zhang Shifang left Yongning Village and went straight to Haitang Bridge. He looked up: the autumn moon hung in the sky and the water shone like a mirror. It was the tail end of autumn; the golden autumn wind blew in gusts, and the leaves at the treetops had all turned yellow. He looked again beneath the bridge: a sheet of autumn water, chill and cold, flowing straight on toward the east. The night was deep and all was still; not a cock crowed, not a dog barked. Zhang Shifang stood on the bridge and thought to himself, “Where can I go in the middle of the night? I might as well go to the brothel. I can stay the night there.” He was still turning it over in his mind when he heard a woman weeping in the woods to the north. Zhang Shifang followed the sound and went close to look, and sure enough it was a young woman, twenty at the very most, weeping in a soft, sweet voice, and so pitifully you could hardly bear it.
張士芳借著月光一細看，這位婦人真是花容月貌，窄小金蓮不到三寸，稱得起蛾眉杏眼，芙蓉白面，頭上腳下真箇十成人才。張士芳一見，淫心已動，他本是個色中的餓鬼，花里的魔王，忙叫道：「這位小娘子，為何黑夜的光景在此啼哭？」這婦人抬頭看了一看說：「這位公子大爺要問，小婦人章氏，只為我丈夫不成人，好賭錢，把一分家業都押寶輸了，直落到家中日無隔宿之糧。這還不算，他今天因為要錢，把我賣了，要指著還給輸帳，我故此晚上偷著出來。我打算在這裡痛哭一場，我一上吊，就算完了，一死方休。大爺你想，我是一點活路沒有。」張士芳一聽，心中一動，這可是便宜事，趕緊說：「小娘子，你別想不開，人死不能復生，你正在青春少年，死了太可惜的，你跟了我去好不好？」這婦人說：「喲，我跟你去上哪去？」張士芳說：「我告訴你，你在這坊打聽打聽，我姓張叫張士芳，是這本地的財主，家裡有房屋地產，買賣銀樓緞號，我也是新近失的家，皆因沒有相對的，我也沒續弦。不是人家不給添房，再不然就是我不願意，我總要親眼得見人才長得好，我才要呢。你要跟了我去，咱們兩個人倒是郎才女貌。你一進門就當家，成箱子衣服穿，論匣子戴首飾，一呼百諾，你瞧好不好？」這婦人說：「公子爺你在哪住？」張士芳說：「你跟我走罷。」伸手就要拉。這婦人說：「你瞧誰來了？」張士芳一回頭並沒人，再回頭一瞧，那婦人沒了，張士芳正在一愣，過來一個香獐子，就在張士芳咽喉一口，把張士芳按倒就吃，就剩下一個腦袋、一條大腿沒吃。
张士芳借着月光一细看，这位妇人真是花容月貌，窄小金莲不到三寸，称得起蛾眉杏眼，芙蓉白面，头上脚下真个十成人才。张士芳一见，淫心已动，他本是个色中的饿鬼，花里的魔王，忙叫道：「这位小娘子，为何黑夜的光景在此啼哭？」这妇人抬头看了一看说：「这位公子大爷要问，小妇人章氏，只为我丈夫不成人，好赌钱，把一分家业都押宝输了，直落到家中日无隔宿之粮。这还不算，他今天因为要钱，把我卖了，要指着还给输帐，我故此晚上偷着出来。我打算在这里痛哭一场，我一上吊，就算完了，一死方休。大爷你想，我是一点活路没有。」张士芳一听，心中一动，这可是便宜事，赶紧说：「小娘子，你别想不开，人死不能复生，你正在青春少年，死了太可惜的，你跟了我去好不好？」这妇人说：「哟，我跟你去上哪去？」张士芳说：「我告诉你，你在这坊打听打听，我姓张叫张士芳，是这本地的财主，家里有房屋地产，买卖银楼缎号，我也是新近失的家，皆因没有相对的，我也没续弦。不是人家不给添房，再不然就是我不愿意，我总要亲眼得见人才长得好，我才要呢。你要跟了我去，咱们两个人倒是郎才女貌。你一进门就当家，成箱子衣服穿，论匣子戴首饰，一呼百诺，你瞧好不好？」这妇人说：「公子爷你在哪住？」张士芳说：「你跟我走罢。」伸手就要拉。这妇人说：「你瞧谁来了？」张士芳一回头并没人，再回头一瞧，那妇人没了，张士芳正在一愣，过来一个香獐子，就在张士芳咽喉一口，把张士芳按倒就吃，就剩下一个脑袋、一条大腿没吃。
By the moonlight Zhang Shifang took a careful look. The woman truly had a face like a flower and a beauty like the moon, and her tiny golden lotuses were not three inches long. She could fairly be said to have moth-feather brows and apricot eyes and a face as white as a lotus blossom; from head to foot, a perfect beauty. The moment Zhang Shifang saw her, lust stirred in him. He was a hungry ghost when it came to women, a demon king among the flowers. He called out at once, “Little lady, why are you weeping here at this hour of the night?” The woman raised her head, looked at him and said, “Since you ask, young master, sir, this humble woman is Madam Zhang. My husband is a good-for-nothing who loves to gamble. He has lost every bit of our family property staking at yabao, till we’ve come to the point where there’s never food in the house to last till tomorrow. And that’s not all: today, because he wants money, he has sold me, meaning to pay off his gambling debts with me. So I slipped out tonight on the sly. I meant to have a good cry here, then hang myself, and that would be the end of it: only death will put an end to it. Think, sir: there’s no way left for me to live.” When Zhang Shifang heard this, his heart leapt: here was a bargain. He said quickly, “Little lady, don’t take it so hard. Once a person’s dead they can’t come back to life. You’re young, in the springtime of your life; it would be too great a pity to die. How about coming along with me?” “Oh!” said the woman. “Come along with you — where to?” “I’ll tell you,” said Zhang Shifang. “Ask around this neighbourhood. My name is Zhang, Zhang Shifang. I’m a rich man of these parts. I have houses and land at home, and businesses, a silversmith’s and a satin shop. I lost my wife not long ago myself, and because I haven’t found a match, I haven’t married again. It’s not that nobody will give me a bride; it’s that I won’t have just anyone. I must see with my own eyes that she’s good-looking before I’ll have her. If you come with me, the pair of us will be a talented man and a beautiful woman. The day you come through the door you’ll be mistress of the house: trunks of clothes to wear, boxes of jewellery to put on, a hundred voices answering when you call. Now, how does that sound?” “Young master,” said the woman, “where do you live?” “Just come with me,” said Zhang Shifang, and reached out to pull her along. “Look who’s coming!” said the woman. Zhang Shifang turned his head; there was nobody there. He turned back to look, and the woman was gone. Zhang Shifang was still standing there dumbfounded when a musk deer came at him, bit him once in the throat, knocked him down and ate him. All that was left uneaten was his head and one thigh.