話說濟公同柴杜二位班頭在酒館吃飯，柴頭杜頭先吃跑了，杜頭站起來說：「出恭去了。」柴頭站起來說：「我要小便去。」和尚說：「對，你們兩個人都走，拿我和尚押桌。」柴頭說：「你上次怎么先走了，把我兩人留下？橫豎沒錢，我們先走。」說著話，二人都出去。夥計一聽：「這兩個人是蒙吃蒙喝的。」夥計留神看著和尚，和尚在那裡，也不言語。偏巧外面有一個人，端了一碗木樨湯，端著正往外走，外面進來一人，慌慌張張，把碗碰掉了，湯也灑了，灑了那人一身，這個叫賠碗，那個叫賠衣裳，兩個人口角相爭打起來了。眾位酒客也一陣大亂，夥計只顧勸架，沒留神，和尚趁亂出了酒館。來到村頭，見柴、杜二頭那裡坐著，和尚說：「好的，你二人吃飽了也不管了。」柴頭說：「你早起為何吃完了走了？」和尚說：「對，算你有理。」柴頭說：「師父你怎么出來的？」和尚說：「我叫掌柜的寫上帳。」柴頭說：「人家認識你嗎？給你寫帳。」和尚說：「你們就不用管了。我出個主意，我們三個人捉迷濛，我藏起來，你們要找著，明天早起我給飯吃，你們要找不著，明天我吃你們。」柴頭一聽，說：「這倒不錯。」和尚就藏起來，這兩個人找遍了也找不著，焉想到和尚連夜夠奔小月屯而來。天亮，和尚來到李平的酒店門首，夥計將掛幌子，和尚邁步進了酒館，一瞧有六張桌，桌上都擺著四碟，一碟煮雞子，一碟豆腐乾，一碟鹽水豆，一碟糖麻花。
话说济公同柴杜二位班头在酒馆吃饭，柴头杜头先吃跑了，杜头站起来说：「出恭去了。」柴头站起来说：「我要小便去。」和尚说：「对，你们两个人都走，拿我和尚押桌。」柴头说：「你上次怎么先走了，把我两人留下？横竖没钱，我们先走。」说着话，二人都出去。伙计一听：「这两个人是蒙吃蒙喝的。」伙计留神看着和尚，和尚在那里，也不言语。偏巧外面有一个人，端了一碗木樨汤，端着正往外走，外面进来一人，慌慌张张，把碗碰掉了，汤也洒了，洒了那人一身，这个叫赔碗，那个叫赔衣裳，两个人口角相争打起来了。众位酒客也一阵大乱，伙计只顾劝架，没留神，和尚趁乱出了酒馆。来到村头，见柴、杜二头那里坐着，和尚说：「好的，你二人吃饱了也不管了。」柴头说：「你早起为何吃完了走了？」和尚说：「对，算你有理。」柴头说：「师父你怎么出来的？」和尚说：「我叫掌柜的写上帐。」柴头说：「人家认识你吗？给你写帐。」和尚说：「你们就不用管了。我出个主意，我们三个人捉迷蒙，我藏起来，你们要找着，明天早起我给饭吃，你们要找不着，明天我吃你们。」柴头一听，说：「这倒不错。」和尚就藏起来，这两个人找遍了也找不着，焉想到和尚连夜够奔小月屯而来。天亮，和尚来到李平的酒店门首，伙计将挂幌子，和尚迈步进了酒馆，一瞧有六张桌，桌上都摆着四碟，一碟煮鸡子，一碟豆腐干，一碟盐水豆，一碟糖麻花。
Now, Ji Gong was eating in a tavern with the two head constables, Chai and Du, and Chai and Du were the first to eat up and run. Head Constable Du stood up and said, “Off to answer a call of nature.” Head Constable Chai stood up and said, “I need to take a piss.” “Right,” said the monk. “You both go, and leave this monk behind as security for the table.” “Last time, why did you walk out first and leave the two of us behind?” said Head Constable Chai. “We’ve got no money either way, so this time we go first.” With that, the two of them went out. The waiter heard it all. “Those two are out to cheat us of a meal.” He kept a close eye on the monk, and the monk sat there and said nothing. As luck would have it, a man in the front room was carrying a bowl of egg-flower soup toward the door when someone came rushing in from outside and knocked the bowl flying. The soup spilled all over the man. One demanded payment for his bowl, the other demanded payment for his clothes, and from words they came to blows. The other drinkers were thrown into an uproar. The waiter was so busy trying to separate the two that he stopped watching, and in the confusion the monk slipped out of the tavern. At the edge of the village he found Chai and Du sitting there. “A fine pair you are,” said the monk. “Once your bellies are full, you don’t care about anybody.” “Then this morning, why did you eat and walk out?” said Head Constable Chai. “All right, you win that one,” said the monk. “Master, how did you get out?” said Head Constable Chai. “I told the manager to put it on my tab.” “Does he even know you? Put it on your tab!” “That’s none of your business. I’ve got an idea. Let’s the three of us play hide-and-seek. I’ll hide. If you find me, I’ll treat you to a meal tomorrow morning. If you can’t find me, tomorrow you treat me.” “Now that’s not bad,” said Head Constable Chai. So the monk hid, and the two of them searched everywhere and couldn’t find him. How could they have guessed that the monk had set off that very night for Xiaoyue Village? At daybreak the monk reached the door of Li Ping’s tavern just as the waiter was hanging out the shop sign. He strode in and looked around: six tables, each set with four little dishes—one of boiled eggs, one of dried tofu, one of beans boiled in salt water and one of sugared dough twists.
和尚找了一張桌子坐下，拿過一個雞子，往桌上磕，和尚說：「掌柜的。」
和尚找了一张桌子坐下，拿过一个鸡子，往桌上磕，和尚说：「掌柜的。」
The monk found a table and sat down. He picked up an egg and knocked it on the table. “Manager!” said the monk.
磕一下雞子，叫一聲「掌柜的」。夥計一瞧說：「大清早起，和尚你夠多討人嫌，磕著雞子叫掌柜的。」和尚說：「你賣幾個大錢？」夥計說：「這么大個的，賣幾個大錢？」和尚說：「我問你是雞子。」夥計說：「雞子賣六個錢。」和尚說：「豆腐乾賣幾個大錢？」夥計說：「三個錢一塊。」和尚說：「這碟豆兒賣幾吊錢？」夥計說：「這一碟豆子，怎么可賣幾吊錢？」和尚說：「倒不是別的，我瞧這豆子皮上，難為你做的摺子，工夫大了。」夥計說：「和尚你真是有心，這豆子是水泡的自來折。」和尚說：「敢情你是自來的摺子。」夥計一聽，說：「和尚，別玩笑，我有自來折？」和尚說：「不是，我也說是豆子，你給我拿兩壺酒來。」夥計就拿了兩壺。和尚喝完了，又添了幾壺，一共吃了六壺酒。和尚叫夥計算帳，夥計一算，一共二百五十六文。和尚說：「你給我寫上罷。」夥計說：「大清早起，你攪了半天，吃完了酒不給錢，那不行。」和尚說：「你便寫上，怎么不行？」二人正在爭論，李平由裡面出來，問：「夥計，什麼事？」夥計說：「喝完了酒不給錢。」李平說：「和尚你沒帶錢，坐下就喝酒？」和尚說：「我是在你這酒店等人，是你們這方熟人，他約會我叫我來喝酒等他，不然，我也不喝酒。我等他半天也沒來，故此我和尚沒給酒錢。」李平說：「你幾時定的約會？」
磕一下鸡子，叫一声「掌柜的」。伙计一瞧说：「大清早起，和尚你够多讨人嫌，磕着鸡子叫掌柜的。」和尚说：「你卖几个大钱？」伙计说：「这么大个的，卖几个大钱？」和尚说：「我问你是鸡子。」伙计说：「鸡子卖六个钱。」和尚说：「豆腐干卖几个大钱？」伙计说：「三个钱一块。」和尚说：「这碟豆儿卖几吊钱？」伙计说：「这一碟豆子，怎么可卖几吊钱？」和尚说：「倒不是别的，我瞧这豆子皮上，难为你做的折子，工夫大了。」伙计说：「和尚你真是有心，这豆子是水泡的自来折。」和尚说：「敢情你是自来的折子。」伙计一听，说：「和尚，别玩笑，我有自来折？」和尚说：「不是，我也说是豆子，你给我拿两壶酒来。」伙计就拿了两壶。和尚喝完了，又添了几壶，一共吃了六壶酒。和尚叫伙计算帐，伙计一算，一共二百五十六文。和尚说：「你给我写上罢。」伙计说：「大清早起，你搅了半天，吃完了酒不给钱，那不行。」和尚说：「你便写上，怎么不行？」二人正在争论，李平由里面出来，问：「伙计，什么事？」伙计说：「喝完了酒不给钱。」李平说：「和尚你没带钱，坐下就喝酒？」和尚说：「我是在你这酒店等人，是你们这方熟人，他约会我叫我来喝酒等他，不然，我也不喝酒。我等他半天也没来，故此我和尚没给酒钱。」李平说：「你几时定的约会？」
Every knock of the egg, another “Manager!” The waiter looked over. “It’s barely morning, Monk, and you’re making a real pest of yourself, knocking an egg and yelling for the manager.” “How many coppers do you sell for?” said the monk. “A fellow my size, for a few coppers?” said the waiter. “I’m asking about the egg.” “Eggs are six coppers.” “How many coppers for the dried tofu?” “Three coppers a piece.” “And how many strings of cash for this dish of beans?” “A dish of beans like this—how could it sell for strings of cash?” “It’s not that. Only, looking at the skins on these beans, I can see the trouble you went to, putting in all those pleats. That took a lot of work.” “Monk, you really do pay attention,” said the waiter. “The beans were soaked in water. The wrinkles come by themselves.” “So you’ve got wrinkles that come by themselves?” “No jokes, Monk,” said the waiter. “Since when have I got wrinkles by themselves?” “No, no, I meant the beans too. Bring me two pots of wine.” The waiter brought two pots. When the monk had drunk them he called for several more, six pots in all. Then he told the waiter to make out the bill. The waiter reckoned it up: two hundred and fifty-six coppers in all. “Put it on my tab,” said the monk. “It’s barely morning, you’ve been carrying on all this while, and now you’ve drunk your wine you won’t pay? That won’t do.” “Just put it on the tab. Why won’t that do?” While the two were arguing, Li Ping came out from the back. “What’s going on?” he asked the waiter. “He’s drunk his wine and won’t pay.” “Monk,” said Li Ping, “you’ve no money on you, and you sat down and drank?” “I’m waiting for someone in your tavern,” said the monk. “He’s from these parts, someone you all know. He arranged to meet me here and told me to have a drink while I waited for him. Otherwise I wouldn’t have drunk anything. I’ve waited ever so long and he hasn’t come, and that’s why this monk hasn’t paid for his wine.” “When did you arrange this meeting?” said Li Ping.