話說柴元祿過去把上吊人抱住。杜振英追來一看，說：「大哥你把華雲龍拿了？」柴元祿低頭一看，說：「這是華雲龍的老爺。」杜振英說：「怎麼？」柴元祿說：「你看這個人鬍鬚都白了，他這大年紀還採花麼？」兩個人就把這老丈扶起來，一個捶腰，一個呼喚「老丈醒來！」
话说柴元禄过去把上吊人抱住。杜振英追来一看，说：「大哥你把华云龙拿了？」柴元禄低头一看，说：「这是华云龙的老爷。」杜振英说：「怎么？」柴元禄说：「你看这个人胡须都白了，他这大年纪还采花么？」两个人就把这老丈扶起来，一个捶腰，一个呼唤「老丈醒来！」
Now, Chai Yuanlu ran over and took the hanging man in his arms. Du Zhenying came running up behind and looked. “Elder Brother, have you caught Hua Yunlong?” Chai Yuanlu looked down. “This is Hua Yunlong’s grandpa.” “What do you mean?” said Du Zhenying. “Look, this man’s beard has gone white,” said Chai Yuanlu. “Would a man his age still go plucking flowers?” The two of them lifted the old man up. One thumped the small of his back while the other called, “Wake up, old sir! Wake up!”
緩了半天，這老者緩過一口氣，一睜眼瞧了瞧，老丈反勃然大怒，說：「兩個小輩，放著道路不走，多管閑事！」柴頭等老頭罵完了，說：「老頭，你真不講理，要比我兩個人在這裏上吊，你瞧見了，你管也不管？人焉有見死不救之理？你別瞧我二人穿的衣服平常。你這大的年紀，為甚麼事情行這樣愚志？是為銀錢，是受人欺辱？你依實細細告訴我二人，或我二人能救得的，可以救你。你罵我二人，我們也不計惱，我問你，實因怎麼一段情節？」老者嘆了一口氣，說：「方纔我是一時的急火，多多得罪你二人。我倒不是因為別的罵你，我想我的事，細細告訴你二人，你們也管不了，我橫豎還得死，你們倒叫我受兩遍罪。」柴頭說：「你說說為甚麼事尋死？我二人既說能辦就能辦。你瞧我們兩人穿的衣裳，像村莊鄉人，也不是在你面前誇口，說一句大話，勿論甚麼事，我二人都可管得了！」
缓了半天，这老者缓过一口气，一睁眼瞧了瞧，老丈反勃然大怒，说：「两个小辈，放着道路不走，多管闲事！」柴头等老头骂完了，说：「老头，你真不讲理，要比我两个人在这里上吊，你瞧见了，你管也不管？人焉有见死不救之理？你别瞧我二人穿的衣服平常。你这大的年纪，为甚么事情行这样愚志？是为银钱，是受人欺辱？你依实细细告诉我二人，或我二人能救得的，可以救你。你骂我二人，我们也不计恼，我问你，实因怎么一段情节？」老者叹了一口气，说：「方才我是一时的急火，多多得罪你二人。我倒不是因为别的骂你，我想我的事，细细告诉你二人，你们也管不了，我横竖还得死，你们倒叫我受两遍罪。」柴头说：「你说说为甚么事寻死？我二人既说能办就能办。你瞧我们两人穿的衣裳，像村庄乡人，也不是在你面前夸口，说一句大话，勿论甚么事，我二人都可管得了！」
It was a long while before the old man drew breath again. He opened his eyes and looked at them, and instead of thanking them he flew into a rage. “You two young whelps! Why couldn’t you keep to your road instead of meddling in other people’s business?” Head Constable Chai waited until the old man had finished cursing. “Old man, you really are unreasonable,” he said. “Suppose it were the two of us hanging ourselves here and you saw it — would you just leave us to it? How can anyone see a man dying and not save him? Don’t go by our plain clothes. At your age, what could drive you to such a foolish thing? Is it money? Has someone wronged you? Tell us the whole story truthfully. If it’s something we two can save you from, we’ll save you. You cursed us, but we won’t hold it against you. Now I’m asking you: what really happened?” The old man sighed. “Just now I was beside myself, and I have badly wronged you both. It wasn’t for anything else that I cursed you. I thought, even if I told you two my trouble in full, you couldn’t do anything about it. I must die all the same, and you’ve only made me suffer it twice.” “Tell us why you want to die,” said Head Constable Chai. “If we two say we can handle it, then we can. You look at our clothes and take us for country folk, but I’m not boasting to your face, and it’s no idle talk: whatever it is, we two can take care of it!”
老丈說：「二位既要問我，二位請坐下，聽我慢慢告稟。我本是阜豐縣聚花村人，我姓傅名有德。我家主人姓馮名文泰，在安徽涇縣做了一任知縣。我家老爺是一位清官，兩袖清風，愛民如子，病故在任上，官囊空虛，一貧如洗。我同著我家夫人、公子、小姐，扶柩回歸故里原籍。我家小姐給的是臨安城的官宦人家，婆家是吏部左堂朱大人，現在來信，婆家要迎娶。我家夫人無錢陪送小姐妝奩，叫我上鎮江府──原本我家舅老爺，做那裏的二府推官，叫我去要二百兩銀子，賠送小姐。去到鎮江府，一見我家舅老爺，舅老爺一聽說我家老爺死在任上，埋怨我為何不把我家主母送到他那裏去？倒難為我家夫人帶著兒女過這十分苦日子。我家舅老爺給了我六百兩銀子，說，五百兩給我主母賠送姑娘，那一百兩給我，叫我墊辦著用，常看我年老受苦辛不易。我怕銀子在路上不好拿，我買了十二錠黃金，做了一個銀幅子，就帶在腰中。我走到這樹林子，覺著腹中疼痛，總是在道路上，是白天受暑夜晚著涼。我肚腹疼痛不能走，就在這樹下歇息。正在發愁，來了一個二十多歲的男子，手中拿著一條繩子，問我為何坐在樹下不走？我說：『我肚腹疼痛的厲害。』他過來給我兩顆痧藥萬金錠，我吃下去，覺著一行動，就睡著了。後來我醒來一看，那男子蹤跡不見，那條繩子在地下放著，我一摸腰裏十二錠黃金銀幅子都沒有了。二位想想：我回去見了我家主母，怎麼交代？我家夫人本來家寒，又要賠小姐，急等用錢。我有心再回鎮江府，見了我家舅老爺，也是無話可答，我說：『罷了，還許我家舅老爺不信。』我左思右想，是前進無門，後退無路，莫如我一死倒也乾淨，也就管不了我家夫人的事了。二位雖是好意救了我，我還是得死，豈不是受二遍罪？」
老丈说：「二位既要问我，二位请坐下，听我慢慢告禀。我本是阜丰县聚花村人，我姓傅名有德。我家主人姓冯名文泰，在安徽泾县做了一任知县。我家老爷是一位清官，两袖清风，爱民如子，病故在任上，官囊空虚，一贫如洗。我同着我家夫人、公子、小姐，扶柩回归故里原籍。我家小姐给的是临安城的官宦人家，婆家是吏部左堂朱大人，现在来信，婆家要迎娶。我家夫人无钱陪送小姐妆奁，叫我上镇江府──原本我家舅老爷，做那里的二府推官，叫我去要二百两银子，赔送小姐。去到镇江府，一见我家舅老爷，舅老爷一听说我家老爷死在任上，埋怨我为何不把我家主母送到他那里去？倒难为我家夫人带着儿女过这十分苦日子。我家舅老爷给了我六百两银子，说，五百两给我主母赔送姑娘，那一百两给我，叫我垫办着用，常看我年老受苦辛不易。我怕银子在路上不好拿，我买了十二锭黄金，做了一个银幅子，就带在腰中。我走到这树林子，觉着腹中疼痛，总是在道路上，是白天受暑夜晚着凉。我肚腹疼痛不能走，就在这树下歇息。正在发愁，来了一个二十多岁的男子，手中拿着一条绳子，问我为何坐在树下不走？我说：『我肚腹疼痛的厉害。』他过来给我两颗痧药万金锭，我吃下去，觉着一行动，就睡着了。后来我醒来一看，那男子踪迹不见，那条绳子在地下放着，我一摸腰里十二锭黄金银幅子都没有了。二位想想：我回去见了我家主母，怎么交代？我家夫人本来家寒，又要赔小姐，急等用钱。我有心再回镇江府，见了我家舅老爷，也是无话可答，我说：『罢了，还许我家舅老爷不信。』我左思右想，是前进无门，后退无路，莫如我一死倒也干净，也就管不了我家夫人的事了。二位虽是好意救了我，我还是得死，岂不是受二遍罪？」
“Since you two gentlemen wish to know,” the old man said, “please sit down and let me tell you all about it. I come from Juhua Village in Fufeng County. My surname is Fu and my given name Youde. My master was named Feng Wentai, and he served a term as county magistrate of Jing County in Anhui. My master was an honest official, with nothing in his sleeves but the clean breeze, who loved the people as his own children. He died in office, and his official purse was empty: the family was left without a penny. I went with my mistress, the young master and the young lady to escort his coffin back to our native place. The young lady is betrothed into an official family in Lin’an. Her future father-in-law is Lord Zhu, Senior Vice Minister of Personnel, and now a letter has come saying his family wishes to fetch the bride. My mistress has no money for the young lady’s dowry, so she sent me to Zhenjiang Prefecture. Her own brother is the prefectural judge there, and she sent me to ask him for two hundred taels of silver for the young lady’s dowry. When I got to Zhenjiang Prefecture and saw my mistress’s brother, and he heard that my master had died in office, he scolded me: why hadn’t I brought my mistress to him? Instead she’d been put to the hardship of living such a bitter life with her children. My mistress’s brother gave me six hundred taels of silver. He said five hundred were for my mistress to provide the young lady’s dowry, and the other hundred were for me to cover what expenses came up, seeing how hard it was for me at my age. Afraid the silver would be awkward to carry on the road, I bought twelve ingots of gold, made a money belt and wore it round my waist. When I reached this wood, I felt a pain in my belly. It must have been from the road: heat by day and chills at night. The pain was so bad I couldn’t walk, so I sat down under this tree to rest. I was sitting there worrying when a man of twenty-odd came along with a rope in his hand and asked why I was sitting under the tree instead of going on. ‘My belly hurts terribly,’ I said. He came over and gave me two Ten-Thousand-Gold Tablets for sunstroke. I swallowed them and felt something stir inside me, and then I fell asleep. When I woke and looked round, the man was gone without a trace. The rope lay on the ground. I felt at my waist, and the twelve ingots of gold and the money belt were all gone. Think of it, gentlemen: when I go back and see my mistress, how can I account for it? My mistress’s household was poor to begin with, and now she has the young lady’s dowry to provide and needs the money urgently. I thought of going back to Zhenjiang Prefecture, but face to face with her brother I’d have nothing to say. ‘Forget it,’ I said to myself. ‘He might not even believe me.’ I turned it over and over: no door ahead and no road behind. Better to die and be done with it, and then my mistress’s affairs would be no concern of mine. You two meant well in saving me, but I must die all the same. Isn’t that suffering it twice?”