武孝廉石某，囊貲赴都，將求銓敘。至德州，暴病，唾血不起，長臥舟中。僕篡金亡去。石大恚，病益加，資糧斷絕。榜人謀委棄之。會有女子乘船，夜來臨泊，聞之，自願以舟載石。榜人悅，扶石登女舟。石視之，婦四十餘，被服粲麗，神采猶都。呻以感謝。婦臨審曰：「君夙有瘵根，今魂魄已遊墟墓。」石聞之，噭然哀哭。婦曰：「我有丸藥，能起死。苟病瘳，勿相忘。」石灑泣矢盟。婦乃以藥餌石；半日，覺少痊。婦即榻供甘旨，殷勤過於夫婦。石益德之。月餘，病良已。石膝行而前，敬之如母。婦曰：「妾煢獨無依，如不以色衰見憎，願侍巾櫛。」時石三十餘，喪偶經年，聞之，喜愜過望，遂相燕好。婦乃出藏金，使入都營幹，相約返與同歸。石赴都夤緣，選得本省司閫；餘金市鞍馬，冠蓋赫奕。因念婦臘已高，終非良偶，因以百金聘王氏女為繼室。心中悚怯，恐婦聞知，遂避德州道，迂途履任。年餘，不通音耗。有石中表，偶至德州，與婦為鄰。婦知之，詣問石況。某以實對。婦大罵，因告以情。某亦代為不平，慰解曰：「或署中務冗，尚未暇遑。乞修尺一書，為嫂寄之。」婦如其言。某敬以達石，石殊不置意。又年餘，婦自往歸石，止於旅舍，託官署司賓者通姓氏。石令絕之。一日，方燕飲，聞喧詈聲，釋杯凝聽，則婦已搴簾入矣。石大駭，面色如土。婦指罵曰：「薄情郎！安樂耶？試思富若貴何所自來？我與汝情分不薄，即欲置婢妾，相謀何害？」石累足屏氣，不能復作聲。久之，長跽自投，詭辭乞宥。婦氣稍平。石與王氏謀，使以妹禮見婦。王氏雅不欲；石固哀之，乃往。王拜，婦亦答拜。曰：「妹勿懼，我非悍妒者。曩事，實人情所不堪，即妹亦當不願有是郎。」遂為王緬述本末。王亦憤恨，因與交詈石。石不能自為地，惟求自贖，遂相安帖。初，婦之未入也，石戒閽人勿通。至此，怒閽人，陰詰讓之。閽人固言管鑰未發，無入者，不服。石疑之而不敢問婦，兩雖言笑，而終非所好也。幸婦嫺婉，不爭夕。三餐後，掩闥早眠，並不問良人夜宿何所。王初猶自危；見其如此，益敬之。厭旦往朝，如事姑嫜。婦御下寬和有體，而明察若神。一日，石失印綬，合署沸騰，屑屑還往，無所為計。婦笑言：「勿憂，竭井可得。」石從之，果得之。叩其故，輒笑不言。隱約間，似知盜者姓名，然終不肯洩。居之終歲，察其行多異。石疑其非人，常於寢後使人瞷聽之，但聞床上終夜作振衣聲，亦不知其何為。婦與王極相愛憐。一夕，石以赴臬司未歸，婦與王飲，不覺過醉，就臥席間，化而為狐。王憐之，覆以錦褥。未幾，石入，王告以異。石欲殺之。王曰：「即狐，何負於君？」石不聽，急覓佩刀。而婦已醒，罵曰：「虺蝮之行，而豺狼之心，必不可以久居！曩所啖藥，乞賜還也！」即唾石面。石覺森寒如澆冰水，喉中習習作癢；嘔出，則丸藥如故。婦拾之，忿然逕出，追之已杳。石中夜舊症復作，血嗽不止，半歲而卒。
武孝廉石某，囊赀赴都，将求铨叙。至德州，暴病，唾血不起，长卧舟中。仆篡金亡去。石大恚，病益加，资粮断绝。榜人谋委弃之。会有女子乘船，夜来临泊，闻之，自愿以舟载石。榜人悦，扶石登女舟。石视之，妇四十余，被服粲丽，神采犹都。呻以感谢。妇临审曰：「君夙有瘵根，今魂魄已游墟墓。」石闻之，噭然哀哭。妇曰：「我有丸药，能起死。苟病瘳，勿相忘。」石洒泣矢盟。妇乃以药饵石；半日，觉少痊。妇即榻供甘旨，殷勤过于夫妇。石益德之。月余，病良已。石膝行而前，敬之如母。妇曰：「妾茕独无依，如不以色衰见憎，愿侍巾栉。」时石三十余，丧偶经年，闻之，喜惬过望，遂相燕好。妇乃出藏金，使入都营干，相约返与同归。石赴都夤缘，选得本省司阃；余金市鞍马，冠盖赫奕。因念妇腊已高，终非良偶，因以百金聘王氏女为继室。心中悚怯，恐妇闻知，遂避德州道，迂途履任。年余，不通音耗。有石中表，偶至德州，与妇为邻。妇知之，诣问石况。某以实对。妇大骂，因告以情。某亦代为不平，慰解曰：「或署中务冗，尚未暇遑。乞修尺一书，为嫂寄之。」妇如其言。某敬以达石，石殊不置意。又年余，妇自往归石，止于旅舍，托官署司宾者通姓氏。石令绝之。一日，方燕饮，闻喧詈声，释杯凝听，则妇已搴帘入矣。石大骇，面色如土。妇指骂曰：「薄情郎！安乐耶？试思富若贵何所自来？我与汝情分不薄，即欲置婢妾，相谋何害？」石累足屏气，不能复作声。久之，长跽自投，诡辞乞宥。妇气稍平。石与王氏谋，使以妹礼见妇。王氏雅不欲；石固哀之，乃往。王拜，妇亦答拜。曰：「妹勿惧，我非悍妒者。曩事，实人情所不堪，即妹亦当不愿有是郎。」遂为王缅述本末。王亦愤恨，因与交詈石。石不能自为地，惟求自赎，遂相安帖。初，妇之未入也，石戒阍人勿通。至此，怒阍人，阴诘让之。阍人固言管钥未发，无入者，不服。石疑之而不敢问妇，两虽言笑，而终非所好也。幸妇娴婉，不争夕。三餐后，掩闼早眠，并不问良人夜宿何所。王初犹自危；见其如此，益敬之。厌旦往朝，如事姑嫜。妇御下宽和有体，而明察若神。一日，石失印绶，合署沸腾，屑屑还往，无所为计。妇笑言：「勿忧，竭井可得。」石从之，果得之。叩其故，辄笑不言。隐约间，似知盗者姓名，然终不肯泄。居之终岁，察其行多异。石疑其非人，常于寝后使人瞷听之，但闻床上终夜作振衣声，亦不知其何为。妇与王极相爱怜。一夕，石以赴臬司未归，妇与王饮，不觉过醉，就卧席间，化而为狐。王怜之，覆以锦褥。未几，石入，王告以异。石欲杀之。王曰：「即狐，何负于君？」石不听，急觅佩刀。而妇已醒，骂曰：「虺蝮之行，而豺狼之心，必不可以久居！曩所啖药，乞赐还也！」即唾石面。石觉森寒如浇冰水，喉中习习作痒；呕出，则丸药如故。妇拾之，忿然径出，追之已杳。石中夜旧症复作，血嗽不止，半岁而卒。
A military provincial graduate named Shi packed up his money and set off for the capital, hoping to be given a post. At Dezhou he fell suddenly ill, spitting blood, and could not get up; he lay in the boat day after day. His servant stole his money and ran off. Shi was furious, and his illness grew worse. Now he had neither money nor food, and the boatmen plotted to abandon him. It happened that a woman travelling by boat came and moored alongside that night. Hearing of his plight, she offered to take Shi on her own boat. The boatmen were pleased and helped him across. Shi looked at her: she was over forty, splendidly dressed, and still handsome and full of life. He groaned out his thanks. She came close and looked him over. “You have long had the root of consumption in you,” she said. “Your soul is already wandering among the graves.” At this Shi wailed and wept. “I have a pill that can raise the dead,” she said. “If you recover, don’t forget me.” Shi, in tears, swore an oath. So she gave him the pill, and within half a day he felt a little better. She brought delicacies to his bedside and was more attentive than a wife to her husband. Shi was all the more grateful. After a month or so he was quite well. He went to her on his knees and honoured her like a mother. “I am all alone, with no one to depend on,” she said. “If you do not despise me because my looks are fading, I would gladly be your wife.” Shi was then in his thirties and had lost his wife a year or more before. Hearing this, he was delighted beyond his hopes, and they became lovers. Then she brought out money she had hidden away and sent him to the capital to arrange his affairs, on the understanding that he would come back for her and they would go home together. In the capital Shi pulled strings and was appointed a garrison commander in his own province. With the money left over he bought saddles and horses, and cut a splendid figure in official hat and carriage. Then he reflected that the woman was well on in years and would never make a good match. So he paid a hundred taels in betrothal gifts for a girl of the Wang family as his second wife. He was uneasy, afraid the woman would hear of it, so he kept off the Dezhou road and went to his post by a roundabout way. For more than a year he sent her no word. A cousin of Shi’s happened to go to Dezhou and became the woman’s neighbour. When she learned who he was, she called on him to ask about Shi. He told her the truth. She cursed loudly and told him the whole story. The cousin too felt she had been wronged. To console her he said, “Perhaps he is busy at his office and has not yet had time. Please write him a letter, sister-in-law, and I’ll send it for you.” She did so. The cousin dutifully delivered it, but Shi paid it no attention at all. After another year or so, she went to join Shi herself. She stopped at an inn and asked the officer who received visitors at headquarters to send in her name. Shi ordered him to turn her away. One day, in the middle of a banquet, Shi heard shouting and cursing. He put down his cup to listen, and the woman had already lifted the curtain and come in. Shi was terrified; his face went the colour of earth. She pointed at him and cursed: “Heartless man! Are you comfortable? Just think where your wealth and rank came from! What was between us was no small thing. Even if you wanted to take a maid or a concubine, what harm would it have done to talk it over with me?” Shi stood rooted, feet together, holding his breath, and could not make a sound. After a long while he knelt, threw himself down before her, and begged her pardon with lying excuses. Her anger cooled a little. Shi talked it over with his new wife, Mrs. Wang, and had her greet the woman as a younger sister would. Mrs. Wang did not like the idea at all, but Shi begged and begged, and she went. Wang bowed, and the woman bowed in return. “Don’t be afraid, little sister,” she said. “I am no jealous shrew. But what happened before is more than anyone could bear. Even you would not want a man like that.” And she told Wang the whole story from start to finish. Wang was indignant too, and the two of them took turns cursing Shi. Shi did not know where to put himself; he could only beg to make amends, and so peace was made. Before the woman burst in, Shi had told his gatekeeper not to let her through. Now he was angry with the gatekeeper and took him aside to reproach him. The gatekeeper insisted the locks had never been opened and no one had come in, and would not admit he was at fault. Shi was suspicious, but he did not dare ask the woman. Though the two of them talked and laughed together, he never really cared for her. Luckily she was gentle and gracious and never vied for his nights. After supper she shut her door and went to bed early, and never asked where her husband spent the night. At first Wang still feared for her own place; seeing the woman behave like this, she respected her all the more. Every morning at dawn she went to pay her respects, as one serves a mother-in-law. The woman was lenient and kind with the servants and knew what was proper, yet she saw through everything like a god. One day Shi lost his seal of office. The whole headquarters was in an uproar; people bustled back and forth, at their wits’ end. The woman laughed. “Don’t worry. Drain the well and you’ll find it.” Shi did so, and there it was. When he asked how she knew, she only laughed and said nothing. She seemed to have some notion of who the thief was, but she would never tell. When she had lived there a whole year, Shi had noticed much that was strange in her ways. He suspected she was not human, and often had someone spy and listen after she had gone to bed. But all they heard was the sound of clothes being shaken out on the bed all night long, and no one knew what she was doing. She and Wang grew very fond of each other. One evening, when Shi had gone to the Provincial Judge and had not yet come back, the woman was drinking with Wang. Without realising it she drank too much, lay down where she sat, and turned into a fox. Wang was tender toward her and covered her with a brocade quilt. Before long Shi came in, and Wang told him the strange thing. Shi wanted to kill her. “Even if she is a fox,” said Wang, “what wrong has she done you?” Shi would not listen and hurried to find his sword. But the woman was already awake. “You act like a viper and you have the heart of a wolf!” she cursed. “I can’t stay with you a day longer. The pill you swallowed — kindly give it back!” And she spat in his face. Shi felt a chill as if doused with ice water, and his throat began to tickle. He threw up, and there was the pill, just as it had been. She picked it up and stormed straight out. They went after her, but she was gone. That night Shi’s old illness came back. He coughed blood without stopping, and within half a year he was dead.