話說濟公在天興店，用手一指點，見外面有一人兩眼發直，後跟一婦人。書中交代，來者這人，住在千家口東街，姓馬名茂。他父親馬振剛，他有兩位兄長都務本分，耕讀傳家，惟有馬茂是個逆子，吃喝嫖賭，無所不為。那日他在大街之上，把銀錢衣服全都輸了，無臉回家，買了一根繩子，意欲上千家口外，無人之處去縊死。偏巧遇見傅有德肚腸疼痛，他帶有痧藥，說：「我給你些藥吃吃。」傅有德吃了，靠著樹就睡著了。馬茂見他一個孤單行客，想：「他身上必有金銀，我摸一摸他肚腹，他要醒來，我就說，我摸你肚腹，還有疼痛否？他若不醒之時，有甚麼，我拿了就走。」便伸手一摸，把銀幅子就摸出來，一看，裏面有十二錠黃金，他把繩子扔下，拿著黃金幅子就走。自己一想：「我把我妻子接出來，找兩間房子，把黃金換了一錠過日子，倒是樂事。」想罷往前便走。見北邊有一個大葦塘，他四下一瞧，杳無一人，把銀幅子連黃金埋在那裏，留了一個暗記，自己回歸千家口。剛到了家門口，他父親馬振剛立在門口，一見馬茂氣往上沖，說：「畜生，你在外面無所不為，怎麼又回家來了？」馬茂說：「我接兒媳來的。我也不在你家吃飯了，家裏算沒我這個人便了，以後你也不用再管我了。」馬振剛聽了，忙說：「好好！你趁早把你老婆接出去罷，不要在家裏再生我的氣。」馬茂即到裏房，喚出妻子，要他跟了就走。妻子不敢跟他出去，因知他在外面無所不為，怕他生出異心把她賣了。他妻子孫氏，本是賢德之婦，跟婆婆說：「我不願去。」老太太說：「不要緊，你祇管跟他出去，有甚麼事，自有我給你做主。」孫氏無法，跟馬茂出來，走到半路，馬茂說：「我告訴你，我若不發財，我也不能接你。」孫氏也不理睬他，跟他出了千家口的村口。到了葦塘，尋著埋黃金所在的暗記，馬茂刨開一看，十二錠黃金蹤跡不見，裏面有一堆大糞。
话说济公在天兴店，用手一指点，见外面有一人两眼发直，后跟一妇人。书中交代，来者这人，住在千家口东街，姓马名茂。他父亲马振刚，他有两位兄长都务本分，耕读传家，惟有马茂是个逆子，吃喝嫖赌，无所不为。那日他在大街之上，把银钱衣服全都输了，无脸回家，买了一根绳子，意欲上千家口外，无人之处去缢死。偏巧遇见傅有德肚肠疼痛，他带有痧药，说：「我给你些药吃吃。」傅有德吃了，靠着树就睡着了。马茂见他一个孤单行客，想：「他身上必有金银，我摸一摸他肚腹，他要醒来，我就说，我摸你肚腹，还有疼痛否？他若不醒之时，有甚么，我拿了就走。」便伸手一摸，把银幅子就摸出来，一看，里面有十二锭黄金，他把绳子扔下，拿着黄金幅子就走。自己一想：「我把我妻子接出来，找两间房子，把黄金换了一锭过日子，倒是乐事。」想罢往前便走。见北边有一个大苇塘，他四下一瞧，杳无一人，把银幅子连黄金埋在那里，留了一个暗记，自己回归千家口。刚到了家门口，他父亲马振刚立在门口，一见马茂气往上冲，说：「畜生，你在外面无所不为，怎么又回家来了？」马茂说：「我接儿媳来的。我也不在你家吃饭了，家里算没我这个人便了，以后你也不用再管我了。」马振刚听了，忙说：「好好！你趁早把你老婆接出去罢，不要在家里再生我的气。」马茂即到里房，唤出妻子，要他跟了就走。妻子不敢跟他出去，因知他在外面无所不为，怕他生出异心把她卖了。他妻子孙氏，本是贤德之妇，跟婆婆说：「我不愿去。」老太太说：「不要紧，你祇管跟他出去，有甚么事，自有我给你做主。」孙氏无法，跟马茂出来，走到半路，马茂说：「我告诉你，我若不发财，我也不能接你。」孙氏也不理睬他，跟他出了千家口的村口。到了苇塘，寻着埋黄金所在的暗记，马茂刨开一看，十二锭黄金踪迹不见，里面有一堆大粪。
Now, at the Tianxing Inn Ji Gong pointed a finger, and outside there was a man staring fixedly ahead, with a woman following behind him. A word of explanation: the man who had come lived on East Street in Qianjiakou. His surname was Ma and his given name Mao. His father was Ma Zhengang, and his two elder brothers both kept to honest work, in a family that had farmed and studied for generations. Only Ma Mao was a wayward son: eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, there was nothing he wouldn’t do. That day, out on the main street, he had gambled away all his money and his clothes. Too ashamed to go home, he bought a rope, meaning to go outside Qianjiakou to some place where no one was about and hang himself. As luck would have it, he came upon Fu Youde with a pain in his belly. He had some sunstroke medicine on him and said, “Let me give you some medicine to take.” Fu Youde took it, leaned against a tree and fell asleep. Ma Mao saw that he was travelling alone and thought, “He’s bound to have gold or silver on him. I’ll feel his belly. If he wakes, I’ll say, ‘I was feeling your belly to see if it still hurts.’ If he doesn’t wake, whatever he’s got, I’ll take it and go.” He reached out a hand, felt about and drew out the money belt. He looked: inside were twelve ingots of gold. He threw the rope down and went off with the money belt and the gold. He thought to himself, “I’ll fetch my wife, find a couple of rooms, change one ingot of gold and live on that. Now that would be a happy life.” With that he set off. To the north he saw a large reed pond. He looked all round: not a soul in sight. He buried the money belt there, gold and all, left a secret mark and went back to Qianjiakou. Just as he reached his front gate, there stood his father Ma Zhengang in the doorway. At the sight of Ma Mao the old man’s anger surged up. “You beast! Out there you’ll stop at nothing. What have you come home for this time?” “I’ve come to fetch your daughter-in-law,” said Ma Mao. “I won’t eat at your house any more, either. Count this family as having no such person as me, and from now on you needn’t bother about me again.” At this Ma Zhengang said at once, “Good, good! Take your wife out of here, the sooner the better, and don’t stay at home making me angry any more.” Ma Mao went straight to the inner room, called out his wife and told her to come along with him. His wife didn’t dare go with him, for she knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do out there, and she was afraid he had something else in mind and would sell her. His wife, Madam Sun, was a virtuous woman. She told her mother-in-law, “I don’t want to go.” “Never mind,” said the old lady. “Just go along with him. If anything happens, I’ll stand up for you.” Madam Sun had no choice but to go out with Ma Mao. Halfway there, Ma Mao said, “I’ll tell you this: if I hadn’t come into money, I couldn’t have fetched you.” Madam Sun paid him no attention and followed him out past the edge of Qianjiakou village. When they came to the reed pond, he found the secret mark where the gold was buried and dug it up. He looked: the twelve ingots of gold had vanished without a trace, and in their place was a heap of dung.
書中交代，十二錠黃金是被濟公拿去了。當柴元祿、杜振英救了傅有德的時候，說：「你等著，由南邊來一個窮和尚。」為何濟公由北邊來呢？那就是濟公把柴頭杜頭支開去救傅有德的，和尚走到北邊，把黃金刨出，帶在貼身，出了一回恭，照舊埋上。這時候馬茂一瞧就愣了，方纔由家中接妻子出來，說的大話不小，把妻子接了出來，此時黃金沒了，再把妻子送回去，那如何能行？真是話出如箭，豈可亂發？一入人耳，有力難拔，自己無法可想，連話也沒了。帶著妻子往前正走，剛來到天興店門口，濟公由裏面看見，用手往外一指，說：「傅有德你看，偷你黃金的人來了！」
书中交代，十二锭黄金是被济公拿去了。当柴元禄、杜振英救了傅有德的时候，说：「你等着，由南边来一个穷和尚。」为何济公由北边来呢？那就是济公把柴头杜头支开去救傅有德的，和尚走到北边，把黄金刨出，带在贴身，出了一回恭，照旧埋上。这时候马茂一瞧就愣了，方才由家中接妻子出来，说的大话不小，把妻子接了出来，此时黄金没了，再把妻子送回去，那如何能行？真是话出如箭，岂可乱发？一入人耳，有力难拔，自己无法可想，连话也没了。带着妻子往前正走，刚来到天兴店门口，济公由里面看见，用手往外一指，说：「傅有德你看，偷你黄金的人来了！」
A word of explanation: the twelve ingots of gold had been taken by Ji Gong. When Chai Yuanlu and Du Zhenying rescued Fu Youde, they had told him, “You wait. A poor monk is coming from the south.” So why did Ji Gong come from the north? Because Ji Gong had sent Head Constables Chai and Du off to rescue Fu Youde, and meanwhile the monk went round to the north, dug up the gold, tucked it next to his skin, relieved his bowels in the hole and buried it as before. Now Ma Mao looked and was struck dumb. He had just fetched his wife from home, and he had talked very big. He had fetched her out, and now the gold was gone: how could he take her back again? Truly, words fly out like arrows; how can they be loosed at random? Once they enter someone’s ears, no strength can pull them out. He could think of nothing to do, and even his tongue failed him. He was walking on with his wife and had just come to the gate of the Tianxing Inn when Ji Gong saw him from inside, pointed outside and said, “Look, Fu Youde! Here comes the man who stole your gold!”
傅有德往外一看，果然不錯，見馬茂兩眼發直，自己打了自己一個嘴巴，說：「眾位，我今天是報應臨頭。」一邊說，一邊跑，剛到面前一個水坑，「撲咚」落下水去，冒了兩冒，即時身死。他妻子孫氏一見，就放聲大哭。正在痛哭之間家中有人跟了來，怕馬茂賣了女人。跟來之人，見馬茂落水溺死，把他妻子孫氏勸回，告訴他父親並兩位哥哥。馬茂已死，把屍身撈起來掩埋，把孫氏送回娘家另聘，這話不表。
傅有德往外一看，果然不错，见马茂两眼发直，自己打了自己一个嘴巴，说：「众位，我今天是报应临头。」一边说，一边跑，刚到面前一个水坑，「扑咚」落下水去，冒了两冒，即时身死。他妻子孙氏一见，就放声大哭。正在痛哭之间家中有人跟了来，怕马茂卖了女人。跟来之人，见马茂落水溺死，把他妻子孙氏劝回，告诉他父亲并两位哥哥。马茂已死，把尸身捞起来掩埋，把孙氏送回娘家另聘，这话不表。
Fu Youde looked out, and sure enough, it was him. He saw Ma Mao staring fixedly ahead. Ma Mao slapped himself across the face and said, “Everybody, today my retribution has come down on my head.” Even as he spoke he ran, and when he reached a pool of water in front of him, splash, in he fell. He bubbled up twice and died on the spot. At the sight his wife, Madam Sun, burst into loud wails. While she was weeping bitterly, people from his family came up: they had followed, afraid Ma Mao would sell his wife. Seeing that Ma Mao had fallen in and drowned, they talked his wife Madam Sun into going back with them, and told his father and his two brothers. Ma Mao was dead, so they fished out the body and buried it, and sent Madam Sun back to her parents’ home to be married again. Of that we need say no more.