白下程生性磊落，不為畛畦。一日自外歸，緩其束帶，覺帶沉沉，若有物墮，視之，無所見。宛轉間，有女子從衣後出，掠發微笑，麗甚。程疑其鬼，女曰：「妾非鬼，狐也。」程曰：「倘得佳人，鬼且不懼，而況于狐！」遂與狎。二年生一女，小字青梅。每謂程：「勿娶，我且為君生子。」程遂不娶，親友共誚姍之。程志奪，聘湖東王氏。狐聞之大怒，就女乳之，委于程曰：「此汝家賠錢貨，生之殺之俱由爾，我何故代人作乳媼乎！」出門徑去。
白下程生性磊落，不为畛畦。一日自外归，缓其束带，觉带沉沉，若有物堕，视之，无所见。宛转间，有女子从衣后出，掠发微笑，丽甚。程疑其鬼，女曰：「妾非鬼，狐也。」程曰：「倘得佳人，鬼且不惧，而况于狐！」遂与狎。二年生一女，小字青梅。每谓程：「勿娶，我且为君生子。」程遂不娶，亲友共诮姗之。程志夺，聘湖东王氏。狐闻之大怒，就女乳之，委于程曰：「此汝家赔钱货，生之杀之俱由尔，我何故代人作乳媪乎！」出门径去。
Cheng, a scholar of Baixia, was open and forthright by nature and did not fence himself in with petty scruples. One day he came home and loosened his sash. It felt heavy, as if something were hanging from it; he looked, and saw nothing. As he turned about, a woman stepped out from behind his robe, smoothing back her hair and smiling. She was very beautiful. Cheng suspected she was a ghost. “I am not a ghost,” she said. “I am a fox.” “For a beauty,” said Cheng, “I would not fear even a ghost — let alone a fox!” And he became her lover. Two years later she bore a daughter, whose childhood name was Qingmei. She often said to Cheng, “Don’t marry. I will bear you a son.” So Cheng did not marry, and his friends and kin all jeered at him. In the end his resolve gave way, and he was betrothed to a woman of the Wang family east of the lake. When the fox heard, she was furious. She took the girl and suckled her, then handed her over to Cheng. “This is your family’s money-loser,” she said. “Raise her or kill her, it’s up to you. Why should I be a wet nurse for someone else?” She went out the door and was gone.
青梅長而慧，貌韶秀，酷肖其母。既而程病卒，王再醮去。青梅寄食于堂叔。叔蕩無行，欲鬻以自肥。適有王進士者，方候銓于家，聞其慧，購以重金，使從女阿喜服役。喜年十四，容華絕代，見梅忻悅，與同寢處。梅亦善候伺，能以目聽，以眉語，由是一家俱憐愛之。
青梅长而慧，貌韶秀，酷肖其母。既而程病卒，王再醮去。青梅寄食于堂叔。叔荡无行，欲鬻以自肥。适有王进士者，方候铨于家，闻其慧，购以重金，使从女阿喜服役。喜年十四，容华绝代，见梅忻悦，与同寝处。梅亦善候伺，能以目听，以眉语，由是一家俱怜爱之。
Qingmei grew up clever, with fine, delicate looks — the very image of her mother. Then Cheng fell ill and died, and his widow remarried and left. Qingmei lived on the charity of an uncle, a cousin of her father’s. He was a wastrel with no morals and meant to sell her to line his own pockets. It happened that a jinshi named Wang was at home waiting for an official post. Hearing how clever she was, he bought her for a large sum and set her to wait on his daughter, Axi. Axi was fourteen, a beauty without equal in her day. She was delighted with Qingmei and had her share her room. Qingmei was good at seeing what was wanted: she could listen with her eyes and speak with her brows. So the whole household grew fond of her.
邑有張生字介受，家屢貧，無恒產，稅居王第。性純孝，制行不茍，又篤于學。青梅偶至其家，見生據石啖糠粥，入室與生母絮語，見案上具豚蹄焉。時翁臥病，生入，抱父而私，便液污衣，翁覺之而自恨。生掩其跡，急出自濯，恐翁知。梅以此大異之。歸述所見，謂女曰：「吾家客非常人也。娘子不欲得良匹則已，欲得良匹，張生其人也。」女恐父厭其貧。梅曰：「不然，是在娘子。如以為可，妾潛告使求伐焉。夫人必召商之，但應之曰『諾』也，則諧矣。」女恐終貧為天下笑。梅曰：「妾自謂能相天下士，必無謬誤。」明日往告張媼，媼大驚，謂其言不祥。梅曰：「小姐聞公子而賢之也，妾故窺其意以為言。冰人往，我兩人袒焉，計合允遂。縱其否也，于公子何辱乎？」媼曰：「諾。」乃托侯氏賣花者往。夫人聞之而笑以告王，王亦大笑。喚女至，述侯氏意。女未及答，青梅亟贊其賢，決其必貴。夫人又問曰：「此汝百年事。如能啜糠覈也，即為汝允之。」女俯首久之，顧壁而答曰：「貧富命也。倘命之厚則貧無幾時，而不貧者無窮期矣。或命之薄，彼錦繡王孫，其無立錐者豈少哉？是在父母。」初，王之商女也，將以博笑，及聞女言，心不樂曰：「汝欲適張氏耶？」女不答；再問，再不答。怒曰：「賤骨子不長進！欲攜筐作乞人婦，寧不羞死！」女漲紅氣結，含涕引去，媒亦遂奔。
邑有张生字介受，家屡贫，无恒产，税居王第。性纯孝，制行不茍，又笃于学。青梅偶至其家，见生据石啖糠粥，入室与生母絮语，见案上具豚蹄焉。时翁卧病，生入，抱父而私，便液污衣，翁觉之而自恨。生掩其迹，急出自濯，恐翁知。梅以此大异之。归述所见，谓女曰：「吾家客非常人也。娘子不欲得良匹则已，欲得良匹，张生其人也。」女恐父厌其贫。梅曰：「不然，是在娘子。如以为可，妾潜告使求伐焉。夫人必召商之，但应之曰『诺』也，则谐矣。」女恐终贫为天下笑。梅曰：「妾自谓能相天下士，必无谬误。」明日往告张媪，媪大惊，谓其言不祥。梅曰：「小姐闻公子而贤之也，妾故窥其意以为言。冰人往，我两人袒焉，计合允遂。纵其否也，于公子何辱乎？」媪曰：「诺。」乃托侯氏卖花者往。夫人闻之而笑以告王，王亦大笑。唤女至，述侯氏意。女未及答，青梅亟赞其贤，决其必贵。夫人又问曰：「此汝百年事。如能啜糠核也，即为汝允之。」女俯首久之，顾壁而答曰：「贫富命也。倘命之厚则贫无几时，而不贫者无穷期矣。或命之薄，彼锦绣王孙，其无立锥者岂少哉？是在父母。」初，王之商女也，将以博笑，及闻女言，心不乐曰：「汝欲适张氏耶？」女不答；再问，再不答。怒曰：「贱骨子不长进！欲携筐作乞人妇，宁不羞死！」女涨红气结，含涕引去，媒亦遂奔。
In the county there was a scholar named Zhang, courtesy name Jieshou. His family was very poor and owned no property, and they rented rooms in the Wang house. Zhang was utterly devoted to his parents, strict in his conduct, and earnest in his studies. Once Qingmei happened to call at their rooms. She saw Zhang sitting on a stone eating husk gruel; then she went in to chat with his mother and saw a pig’s trotter laid out on the table. His father was sick in bed at the time. Zhang went in and held him up to relieve himself, and the urine soiled Zhang’s clothes. The old man felt it and was ashamed of himself. Zhang hid the stain and hurried out to wash it himself, afraid his father would know. All this made Qingmei think him remarkable. She went back and told what she had seen. “The man who lodges with us is no ordinary man,” she said to Axi. “If you don’t want a good husband, miss, that’s that. But if you do, Zhang is the one.” Axi was afraid her father would scorn him for his poverty. “Not so,” said Qingmei. “It depends on you. If you think he’ll do, I’ll tell him secretly to send a matchmaker. Your mother is sure to call you in to talk it over. Just answer ‘Yes,’ and it will be settled.” Axi was afraid he would stay poor and she would be the laughingstock of the world. “I believe I can read the men of the world,” said Qingmei. “I won’t be wrong.” The next day she went to tell old Mrs. Zhang. The old woman was aghast and said it was ill-omened talk. “Miss has heard about your son and thinks well of him,” said Qingmei. “I sounded out her mind, and that’s why I speak. If a matchmaker goes, the two of us will take his side, and it should go through. And even if it doesn’t, what shame is it to your son?” “Very well,” said the old woman, and she asked Mrs. Hou, a flower seller, to go. Wang’s wife heard it, laughed, and told Wang, and Wang laughed loudly too. They called their daughter in and told her what Mrs. Hou had come about. Before Axi could answer, Qingmei broke in to praise Zhang’s worth and declared that he was sure to rise high. Then her mother asked her, “This is for the rest of your life. If you can bear to eat husks and bran, we will say yes for you.” Axi kept her head bowed a long while. Then, facing the wall, she answered, “Poverty and wealth are fate. If his fate is good, he will not be poor for long, and there will be no end to the time he is not. If his fate is thin — well, of the young lords in silk and brocade, are there few who end up without ground to stand an awl on? It is for my parents to decide.” Wang had brought the matter up with his daughter only for a laugh. When he heard her answer he was displeased. “So you want to marry into the Zhang family?” She did not answer. He asked again; again she did not answer. He said angrily, “Base-boned good-for-nothing! You want to carry a basket and be a beggar’s wife? You should die of shame!” Axi flushed red and choked. Holding back her tears, she withdrew. The matchmaker fled too.