繆永定，江西拔貢生，素酗于酒，戚黨多畏避之。偶適族叔家，與客滑稽諧謔，遂共酣飲。繆醉，使酒罵座，忤客；客怒，一座大嘩。叔為排解，繆為左袒客，益遷怒叔。叔無計，奔告其家。家人來，扶挾以歸。才置床上，四肢盡厥，撫之，奄然氣絕。
缪永定，江西拔贡生，素酗于酒，戚党多畏避之。偶适族叔家，与客滑稽谐谑，遂共酣饮。缪醉，使酒骂座，忤客；客怒，一座大哗。叔为排解，缪为左袒客，益迁怒叔。叔无计，奔告其家。家人来，扶挟以归。才置床上，四肢尽厥，抚之，奄然气绝。
Miao Yongding was a senior licentiate of Jiangxi. He had always been a quarrelsome drunk, and most of his relatives kept out of his way. Once he happened to call at the house of a clan uncle, where he fell to joking and bantering with the guests, and they all drank deep together. Miao got drunk, turned the drink on the company and cursed them, and gave offence to one guest. The guest grew angry, and the whole room was in an uproar. The uncle tried to make peace; Miao took him to be siding with the guest and turned his anger all the more on his uncle. At his wits’ end, the uncle ran to tell Miao’s family. They came and hauled him home between them. No sooner had they laid him on the bed than his limbs went cold and stiff. They felt him: his breath had stopped.
繆見有皂帽人縶已去。移時至一府署，縹碧為瓦，世間無其壯麗。至墀下，似欲伺見官宰，自思無罪，當是客訟斗毆。回顧皂帽人，怒目如牛，又不敢問。忽堂上一吏宣言，使訟獄者翼日早候，于是堂下人紛紛散去。繆亦隨皂帽人出，更無歸著，縮首立肆檐下。皂帽人怒曰：「顛酒無賴子！日將暮，各去尋眠食，爾欲何往？」繆戰栗曰：「我且不知何事，並未告家人，故毫無資斧，庸將焉歸？」皂帽人曰：「顛酒賊！若酤自啖，便有用度！再支吾，老拳碎顛骨子！」繆垂首不敢聲。忽一人自戶內出，見繆，詫異曰：「爾何來？」繆視之，則其母舅。舅賈氏，死已數載。繆見之，始悟已死，心益悲懼，向舅涕零曰：「阿舅救我！」賈顧皂帽人曰：「東靈非他，屈臨寒舍。」二人乃入。賈重揖皂帽人，且囑青眼。俄頃出酒食，團坐相飲。賈問：「舍甥何事，遂煩勾致？」皂帽人曰：「大王駕詣浮羅君，遇令甥醉詈，使我捉得來。」賈問：「見王未？」曰：「浮羅君會花子案，駕未歸。」又問：「阿甥將得何罪？」答曰：「未可知也。然大王頗怒此等人。」繆在側，聞二人言，觳觫汗下，杯箸不能舉。無何，皂帽人起，謝曰：「叨盛酌，已經醉矣。即以令甥相付托，駕歸，再容登訪。」乃去。賈謂繆曰：「甥別無兄弟，父母愛如掌上珠，常不忍一訶。十六七歲，每三杯後，喃喃尋人疵，小不合，輒撾門裸罵，猶謂齒稚。不意別十餘年，甥了不長進。今且奈何！」繆伏地哭，懊悔無及。賈曳之曰：「舅在此業酤，頗有小聲望，必合極力。適飲者乃東靈使者，舅常飲之酒，與舅頗相善。大王日萬幾，亦未必便能記憶。我委曲與言，浼以私意釋甥去，或可允從。」又轉念曰：「此事擔負頗重，非十萬不能了也。」繆謝諾，即就舅氏宿。次日，皂帽人早來覘望。賈請間。語移時，來謂繆曰：「諧矣。少頃，即復來。我先罄所有用壓契，余待甥歸從容湊致之。」繆喜曰：「共得幾何？」曰：「十萬。」曰：「甥何處得如許？」賈曰：「只金幣錢紙百提，足矣。」繆喜曰：「此易辦耳。」待將停午，皂帽人不至。
缪见有皂帽人絷已去。移时至一府署，缥碧为瓦，世间无其壮丽。至墀下，似欲伺见官宰，自思无罪，当是客讼斗殴。回顾皂帽人，怒目如牛，又不敢问。忽堂上一吏宣言，使讼狱者翼日早候，于是堂下人纷纷散去。缪亦随皂帽人出，更无归着，缩首立肆檐下。皂帽人怒曰：「颠酒无赖子！日将暮，各去寻眠食，尔欲何往？」缪战栗曰：「我且不知何事，并未告家人，故毫无资斧，庸将焉归？」皂帽人曰：「颠酒贼！若酤自啖，便有用度！再支吾，老拳碎颠骨子！」缪垂首不敢声。忽一人自户内出，见缪，诧异曰：「尔何来？」缪视之，则其母舅。舅贾氏，死已数载。缪见之，始悟已死，心益悲惧，向舅涕零曰：「阿舅救我！」贾顾皂帽人曰：「东灵非他，屈临寒舍。」二人乃入。贾重揖皂帽人，且嘱青眼。俄顷出酒食，团坐相饮。贾问：「舍甥何事，遂烦勾致？」皂帽人曰：「大王驾诣浮罗君，遇令甥醉詈，使我捉得来。」贾问：「见王未？」曰：「浮罗君会花子案，驾未归。」又问：「阿甥将得何罪？」答曰：「未可知也。然大王颇怒此等人。」缪在侧，闻二人言，觳觫汗下，杯箸不能举。无何，皂帽人起，谢曰：「叨盛酌，已经醉矣。即以令甥相付托，驾归，再容登访。」乃去。贾谓缪曰：「甥别无兄弟，父母爱如掌上珠，常不忍一诃。十六七岁，每三杯后，喃喃寻人疵，小不合，辄挝门裸骂，犹谓齿稚。不意别十余年，甥了不长进。今且奈何！」缪伏地哭，懊悔无及。贾曳之曰：「舅在此业酤，颇有小声望，必合极力。适饮者乃东灵使者，舅常饮之酒，与舅颇相善。大王日万几，亦未必便能记忆。我委曲与言，浼以私意释甥去，或可允从。」又转念曰：「此事担负颇重，非十万不能了也。」缪谢诺，即就舅氏宿。次日，皂帽人早来觇望。贾请间。语移时，来谓缪曰：「谐矣。少顷，即复来。我先罄所有用压契，余待甥归从容凑致之。」缪喜曰：「共得几何？」曰：「十万。」曰：「甥何处得如许？」贾曰：「只金币钱纸百提，足矣。」缪喜曰：「此易办耳。」待将停午，皂帽人不至。
Miao saw a man in a black cap tie him up and lead him away. After a while they came to a government office roofed with tiles of pale blue-green, grander than anything in the world of the living. At the foot of the steps it seemed he was to wait to be seen by the official. He thought to himself that he had done nothing wrong; the guest must have sued him for brawling. He looked round at the man in the black cap, whose eyes glared like an ox’s, and dared not ask. Suddenly a clerk in the hall announced that those with suits to be heard should wait early the next morning, and the people below the hall scattered. Miao went out after the man in the black cap. He had nowhere at all to go, and stood under the eaves of a shop with his head drawn in. The man in the black cap said angrily, “Drink-crazed good-for-nothing! The day’s nearly done, and everyone’s off to find a bed and a meal. Where do you think you’re going?” Miao trembled. “I don’t even know what this is about,” he said, “and I never told my family, so I haven’t a penny for the road. Where am I to go?” “Drink-crazed thief!” said the man in the black cap. “When it’s wine for yourself, you’ve money to spend! Stammer at me again and this old fist will smash your crazy bones!” Miao hung his head and dared not make a sound. Suddenly a man came out of a doorway, saw Miao and said in surprise, “What are you doing here?” Miao looked: it was his mother’s brother, Jia, who had been dead for several years. At the sight of him Miao understood for the first time that he himself was dead, and he grew more grieved and frightened still. He wept to his uncle, “Uncle, save me!” Jia turned to the man in the black cap. “You’re no stranger, Dongling,” he said. “Do me the honour of stepping into my humble house.” The two of them went in. Jia bowed to the man in the black cap again and again, and asked him to look kindly on his nephew. In a moment wine and food were brought out, and they sat round and drank together. Jia asked, “What has my nephew done, that you had to trouble yourself to fetch him?” “The Great King was on his way to call on Lord Fuluo,” said the man in the black cap, “and came upon your nephew cursing in his cups. He had me arrest him.” “Has he seen the King yet?” asked Jia. “Lord Fuluo is hearing the beggars’ case with him, and the King’s carriage isn’t back.” “And what will my nephew be charged with?” “Can’t say. But the Great King is very angry with people of this sort.” Miao, at their side, heard what they said and shook with fear, the sweat running off him; he could not lift cup or chopsticks. Before long the man in the black cap rose and thanked his host. “I’ve had more than my share of your fine wine, and I’m drunk already. I’ll leave your nephew in your charge. When the King’s carriage returns, I’ll call again.” And he went. Jia said to Miao, “You had no brothers, and your parents loved you like a pearl in the palm of the hand; they could never bring themselves to scold you once. At sixteen or seventeen, after three cups you would go muttering on, finding fault with people, and at the least thing you would be beating on their doors and cursing half-naked, and still they said you were young. I never thought that after more than ten years apart you would not have grown up at all. What now!” Miao threw himself on the ground and wept, repenting too late. Jia pulled him up. “Your uncle keeps a wine shop here and has a little standing. I’ll do all I can. The man drinking with us just now is the envoy of Dongling. I often stand him wine, and we’re on good terms. The Great King has ten thousand affairs a day; he won’t necessarily remember. If I talk the envoy round and beg him to let you go as a private favour, he may agree.” Then, on second thought, he said, “This is a heavy thing for him to take on. Nothing under a hundred thousand will settle it.” Miao thanked him and agreed, and spent the night at his uncle’s. The next day the man in the black cap came early to look in. Jia asked for a word in private. They talked for a while, and then he came and said to Miao, “It’s arranged. He’ll be back shortly. I’ll first put up everything I have as a pledge on the contract; the rest can wait till you’re home and can gather it at your leisure.” Miao was glad. “How much is it in all?” “A hundred thousand.” “Where am I to get so much?” “A hundred bundles of gold and silver paper money will do.” Miao was glad. “That’s easily done,” he said. They waited till near noon, but the man in the black cap did not come.