長山劉氏，體肥嗜飲。每獨酌，輒盡一甕。負郭田三百畝，輒半種黍；而家豪富，不以飲為累也。一番僧見之，謂其身有異疾。劉答言：「無。」僧曰：「君飲嘗不醉否？」曰：「有之。」曰：「此酒蟲也。」劉愕然，便求醫療。曰：「易耳。」問：「需何藥？」俱言不須。但令於日中俯臥，縶手足；去首半尺許，置良醞一器。移時，燥渴，思飲為極。酒香入鼻，饞火上熾，而苦不得飲。忽覺咽中暴癢，哇有物出，直墮酒中。解縛視之，赤肉長三寸許，蠕動如游魚，口眼悉備。劉驚謝。酬以金，不受，但乞其蟲。問：「將何用？」曰：「此酒之精，甕中貯水，入蟲攪之，即成佳釀。」劉使試之，果然。劉自是惡酒如仇。體漸瘦，家亦日貧，後飲食至不能給。
长山刘氏，体肥嗜饮。每独酌，辄尽一瓮。负郭田三百亩，辄半种黍；而家豪富，不以饮为累也。一番僧见之，谓其身有异疾。刘答言：「无。」僧曰：「君饮尝不醉否？」曰：「有之。」曰：「此酒虫也。」刘愕然，便求医疗。曰：「易耳。」问：「需何药？」俱言不须。但令于日中俯卧，絷手足；去首半尺许，置良酝一器。移时，燥渴，思饮为极。酒香入鼻，馋火上炽，而苦不得饮。忽觉咽中暴痒，哇有物出，直堕酒中。解缚视之，赤肉长三寸许，蠕动如游鱼，口眼悉备。刘惊谢。酬以金，不受，但乞其虫。问：「将何用？」曰：「此酒之精，瓮中贮水，入虫搅之，即成佳酿。」刘使试之，果然。刘自是恶酒如仇。体渐瘦，家亦日贫，后饮食至不能给。
There was a man named Liu in Changshan, fat and fond of drink. Whenever he drank alone he would finish a whole jar. He owned three hundred mu of land just outside the city wall, and half of it was always sown with millet; but his family was very rich, and the drinking was no burden to them. A foreign monk saw him and said he had a strange ailment in his body. “I have none,” Liu answered. “When you drink,” said the monk, “is it true that you never get drunk?” “It is.” “Then it is a wine worm.” Liu was startled, and begged at once to be cured. “That is easy,” said the monk. “What medicine will you need?” Liu asked. The monk said none was needed at all. He simply had Liu lie face down in the noon sun with his hands and feet tied, and about half a foot from his head he set a vessel of fine wine. After a while Liu grew parched with thirst and longed for a drink more than anything. The smell of the wine went up his nose, the fire of his craving blazed, and it was torment that he could not drink. Suddenly he felt a fierce itch in his throat. He retched, and something came out and dropped straight into the wine. They untied him and looked: it was a piece of red flesh about three inches long, wriggling like a swimming fish, with mouth and eyes complete. Liu was amazed, and thanked the monk. He offered him money, but the monk would not take it, and asked only for the worm. “What will you use it for?” Liu asked. “It is the very essence of wine,” said the monk. “Fill a jar with water, put the worm in and stir it, and it turns into good wine.” Liu had him try it, and so it did. From then on Liu loathed wine as if it were his enemy. His body grew thinner and thinner, and his family poorer by the day, until in the end they could not even keep themselves in food and drink.