羅子浮，邠人。父母俱早世。八九歲，依叔大業。業為國子左廂，富有金繒而無子，愛子浮若己出。十四歲，為匪人誘去作狹邪遊。會有金陵娼，僑寓郡中，生悅而惑之。娼返金陵，生竊從遁去。居娼家半年，牀頭金盡，大為姊妹行齒冷。然猶未遽絕之。無何，廣創潰臭，沾染牀席，逐而出。丐於市。市人見輒遙避。
罗子浮，邠人。父母俱早世。八九岁，依叔大业。业为国子左厢，富有金缯而无子，爱子浮若己出。十四岁，为匪人诱去作狭邪游。会有金陵娼，侨寓郡中，生悦而惑之。娼返金陵，生窃从遁去。居娼家半年，床头金尽，大为姊妹行齿冷。然犹未遽绝之。无何，广创溃臭，沾染床席，逐而出。丐于市。市人见辄遥避。
Luo Zifu was a man of Bin. His parents both died early, and at eight or nine he went to live with his uncle, Daye. Daye held a post at the Imperial Academy. He was rich in gold and silk but had no son, and he loved Zifu as his own. At fourteen the boy was led off by bad companions to the pleasure quarters. A courtesan from Jinling happened to be living in the prefecture for a time; Luo fell for her and lost his head. When she went back to Jinling, he slipped away after her. He lived in her house for half a year, until the money at his bedside was gone and the other girls of the house sneered at him. Even so, they did not throw him out at once. Before long, though, he came down with the Canton sores. They burst and stank and soiled the bed and the mats, and he was turned out. He begged in the market. People who saw him kept well away.
自恐死異域，乞食西行；日三四十里，漸至邠界。又念敗絮膿穢，無顏入里門，尚趦趄近邑間。日既暮，欲趨山寺宿。遇一女子，容貌若仙。近問：「何適？」生以實告。女曰：「我出家人，居有山洞，可以下榻，頗不畏虎狼。」生喜，從去。入深山中，見一洞府。入則門橫溪水，石梁駕之。又數武，有石室二，光明徹照，無須燈燭。命生解懸鶉，浴於溪流。曰：「濯之，創當愈。」又開幛拂褥促寢，曰：「請即眠，當為郎作袴。」乃取大葉類芭蕉，翦綴作衣。生臥視之。製無幾時，折疊牀頭，曰：「曉取著之。」乃與對榻寢。生浴後，覺創瘍無苦。既醒，摸之，則痂厚結矣。詰旦，將興，心疑蕉葉不可著。取而審視，則綠錦滑絕。少間，具餐。女取山葉呼作餅，食之，果餅；又翦作雞、魚，烹之皆如真者。室隅一甖，貯佳醞，輒復取飲；少減，則以溪水灌益之。數日，創痂盡脫，就女求宿。女曰：「輕薄兒！甫能安身，便生妄想！」生云：「聊以報德。」遂同臥處，大相歡愛。
自恐死异域，乞食西行；日三四十里，渐至邠界。又念败絮脓秽，无颜入里门，尚趦趄近邑间。日既暮，欲趋山寺宿。遇一女子，容貌若仙。近问：「何适？」生以实告。女曰：「我出家人，居有山洞，可以下榻，颇不畏虎狼。」生喜，从去。入深山中，见一洞府。入则门横溪水，石梁驾之。又数武，有石室二，光明彻照，无须灯烛。命生解悬鹑，浴于溪流。曰：「濯之，创当愈。」又开幛拂褥促寝，曰：「请即眠，当为郎作袴。」乃取大叶类芭蕉，翦缀作衣。生卧视之。制无几时，折叠床头，曰：「晓取着之。」乃与对榻寝。生浴后，觉创疡无苦。既醒，摸之，则痂厚结矣。诘旦，将兴，心疑蕉叶不可着。取而审视，则绿锦滑绝。少间，具餐。女取山叶呼作饼，食之，果饼；又翦作鸡、鱼，烹之皆如真者。室隅一甖，贮佳酝，辄复取饮；少减，则以溪水灌益之。数日，创痂尽脱，就女求宿。女曰：「轻薄儿！甫能安身，便生妄想！」生云：「聊以报德。」遂同卧处，大相欢爱。
Afraid he would die in a strange land, he begged his way west, thirty or forty li a day, until at last he neared the border of Bin. Then he thought of his rotten rags, all pus and filth, and could not face going in at the gate of his home village; he hung back, dithering, near the town. As the day ended he set off for a mountain temple to spend the night. On the way he met a young woman as lovely as an immortal. She came up and asked, “Where are you going?” He told her the truth. “I am one who has left home,” she said. “I live in a mountain cave. You can sleep there, and you needn’t fear tigers or wolves.” Luo was delighted and went with her. Deep in the mountains they came to a grotto. Inside, a stream ran across in front of the door, with a stone bridge over it. A few paces on were two stone chambers, so bright that there was no need of lamp or candle. She told him to take off his rags and bathe in the stream. “Wash,” she said, “and your sores will heal.” Then she drew back the bed curtains, smoothed the quilt and hurried him to bed. “Go to sleep now,” she said. “I’ll make you some trousers.” She took some big leaves, like banana leaves, and cut and stitched them into clothes. Luo lay watching her. She was done in no time. She folded the clothes and put them at the head of his bed. “Put these on when you get up,” she said. Then she lay down on the bed facing his and went to sleep. Since his bath Luo had felt no pain from his sores. When he woke and felt them, they had scabbed over thickly. At dawn, as he was getting up, he doubted that banana leaves could be worn. He picked them up to look: they were green brocade, smooth as could be. Soon she laid out a meal. She took leaves from the hillside and called them cakes, and when he ate them, they were cakes. She cut more leaves into a chicken and a fish, and when she cooked them they were like the real things. In a corner of the room stood a jar of fine wine, and they drank from it whenever they liked; when it ran a little low, she topped it up with water from the stream. In a few days his scabs had all fallen off, and he asked to share her bed. “Shameless boy!” she said. “You’re barely on your feet and already you’re getting ideas!” “It’s only to repay your kindness,” he said. So they lay together and loved each other dearly.
一日，有少婦笑入，曰：「翩翩小鬼頭快活死！薛姑子好夢，幾時做得？」女迎笑曰：「花城娘子，貴趾久弗涉，今日西南風緊，吹送來也！小哥子抱得未？」曰：「又一小婢子。」女笑曰：「花娘子瓦窰哉！哪弗將來？」曰：「方嗚之，睡卻矣。」於是坐以款飲。又顧生曰：「小郎君焚好香也。」生視之，年廿有三四，綽有餘妍。心好之。剝果誤落案下，俯地假拾果，陰捻翹鳳；花城他顧而笑，若不知者。生方怳然神奪，頓覺袍袴無溫；自顧所服，悉成秋葉。幾駭絕。危坐移時，漸變如故。竊幸二女之弗見也。少頃，酬酢間，又以指搔纖掌。城坦然笑謔，殊不覺知。突突怔忡間，衣已化葉，移時始復變。由是漸顏息慮，不敢妄想。城笑曰：「而家小郎子，大不端好！若弗是醋葫蘆娘子，恐跳跡入雲霄去。」女亦哂曰：「薄倖兒，便直得寒凍殺！」相與鼓掌。花城離席曰：「小婢醒，恐啼腸斷矣。」女亦起曰：「貪引他家男兒，不憶得小江城啼絕矣。」花城既去，懼貽誚責；女卒晤對如平時。
一日，有少妇笑入，曰：「翩翩小鬼头快活死！薛姑子好梦，几时做得？」女迎笑曰：「花城娘子，贵趾久弗涉，今日西南风紧，吹送来也！小哥子抱得未？」曰：「又一小婢子。」女笑曰：「花娘子瓦窰哉！哪弗将来？」曰：「方呜之，睡却矣。」于是坐以款饮。又顾生曰：「小郎君焚好香也。」生视之，年廿有三四，绰有余妍。心好之。剥果误落案下，俯地假拾果，阴捻翘凤；花城他顾而笑，若不知者。生方怳然神夺，顿觉袍袴无温；自顾所服，悉成秋叶。几骇绝。危坐移时，渐变如故。窃幸二女之弗见也。少顷，酬酢间，又以指搔纤掌。城坦然笑谑，殊不觉知。突突怔忡间，衣已化叶，移时始复变。由是渐颜息虑，不敢妄想。城笑曰：「而家小郎子，大不端好！若弗是醋葫芦娘子，恐跳迹入云霄去。」女亦哂曰：「薄幸儿，便直得寒冻杀！」相与鼓掌。花城离席曰：「小婢醒，恐啼肠断矣。」女亦起曰：「贪引他家男儿，不忆得小江城啼绝矣。」花城既去，惧贻诮责；女卒晤对如平时。
One day a young woman came in laughing. “Pianpian, you little imp, you must be happy enough to die! Sister Xue’s sweet dream — when did you get to dream it?” Pianpian met her with a laugh. “Huacheng! Your precious feet haven’t trodden here in ages. The southwest wind must be blowing hard today, to blow you in! Have you got a little boy to hold yet?” “Another little girl,” said Huacheng. Pianpian laughed. “Huacheng, you’re a regular tile kiln! Why didn’t you bring her?” “I’d just hushed her, and she fell asleep.” So they sat down, and Pianpian served wine. Huacheng turned to Luo. “You must have burned good incense, young sir,” she said. Luo looked at her. She was twenty-three or twenty-four, and lovely still, with beauty to spare. He took a fancy to her. Peeling a fruit, he dropped it under the table, bent down to the floor as if to pick it up, and secretly pinched the upturned tip of her phoenix shoe. Huacheng looked away and laughed, as if she had not noticed. Luo was in a daze, his wits gone, when all at once his robe and trousers lost their warmth. He looked down at his clothes: they had all turned to autumn leaves. He nearly died of fright. He sat bolt upright for a while, and little by little they changed back. He was secretly glad the two women had not seen. A little later, as the cups went round, he scratched Huacheng’s slender palm with his finger. She went on laughing and joking calmly, as if she felt nothing. While his heart was still thumping, his clothes had turned to leaves again, and only after a while did they change back. After that he composed his face, stilled his thoughts, and dared not get ideas. Huacheng laughed. “That young man of yours is no good at all! If you weren’t such a jealous vinegar gourd of a wife, he’d have jumped clean up into the clouds by now.” Pianpian smiled too. “The faithless wretch — he deserves to freeze to death!” And the two of them clapped their hands. Huacheng rose from her seat. “My little girl will be awake. I’m afraid she’s crying her heart out.” Pianpian rose too. “Busy leading on other women’s men, and you forget little Jiangcheng crying herself hoarse!” When Huacheng had gone, Luo was afraid he would be scolded, but Pianpian treated him just as usual.