南三復，晉陽世家也。有別墅，去所居十里餘，每馳騎日一詣之。適遇雨，途中有小村，見一農人家，門內寬敞，因投止焉。近村人固皆威重南。少頃，主人出邀，跼蹐甚恭。入其舍斗如。客既坐，主人始操篲，殷勤氾掃。既而潑蜜為茶。命之坐，始敢坐。問其姓名，自言：「廷章，姓竇。」未幾，進酒烹雛，給奉周至。有笄女行炙，時止戶外，稍稍露其半體，年十五六，端妙無比。南心動。雨歇既歸，繫念綦切。
南三复，晋阳世家也。有别墅，去所居十里余，每驰骑日一诣之。适遇雨，途中有小村，见一农人家，门内宽敞，因投止焉。近村人固皆威重南。少顷，主人出邀，跼蹐甚恭。入其舍斗如。客既坐，主人始操篲，殷勤泛扫。既而泼蜜为茶。命之坐，始敢坐。问其姓名，自言：「廷章，姓窦。」未几，进酒烹雏，给奉周至。有笄女行炙，时止户外，稍稍露其半体，年十五六，端妙无比。南心动。雨歇既归，系念綦切。
Nan Sanfu came of an old, established family of Jinyang. He had a country house more than ten li from where he lived, and rode out to it once every day. Once he was caught in the rain on the way. There was a small village along the road, and seeing a farmhouse with a roomy yard inside the gate, he went in for shelter. The people of the villages round about all stood in awe of Nan. In a moment the master of the house came out to invite him in, bowing and shuffling most respectfully. The room he was led into was no bigger than a grain measure. When the guest was seated, the host took up a broom and swept all around, eager to please. Then he stirred honey into water to serve as tea. Only when Nan told him to sit did he dare to sit. Asked his name, he said, “Tingzhang. My surname is Dou.” Before long he brought out wine and cooked a young chicken, and waited on his guest with every attention. A girl old enough to wear the hairpin brought in the roast meat. Now and then she stopped outside the door, half of her showing. She was fifteen or sixteen, and lovely beyond compare. Nan’s heart was stirred. When the rain stopped he went home, but he could not stop thinking of her.
越日，具粟帛往酬，借此階進。是後常一過竇，時攜肴酒，相與留連。女漸稔，不甚忌避，輒奔走其前。睨之，則低鬟微笑。南益惑焉，無三日不往者。一日，值竇不在，坐良久，女出應客。南捉臂狎之。女慙急，峻拒曰：「奴雖貧，要嫁，何貴倨凌人也！」時南失偶，便揖之曰：「倘獲憐眷，定不他娶。」女要誓；南指矢天日，以堅永約，女乃允之。自此為始，瞰竇他出，即過繾綣。女促之曰：「桑中之約，不可長也。日在帡幪之下，倘肯賜以姻好，父母必以為榮，當無不諧。宜速為計！」南諾之。轉念農家豈堪匹耦？姑假其詞以因循之。
越日，具粟帛往酬，借此阶进。是后常一过窦，时携肴酒，相与留连。女渐稔，不甚忌避，辄奔走其前。睨之，则低鬟微笑。南益惑焉，无三日不往者。一日，值窦不在，坐良久，女出应客。南捉臂狎之。女慙急，峻拒曰：「奴虽贫，要嫁，何贵倨凌人也！」时南失偶，便揖之曰：「倘获怜眷，定不他娶。」女要誓；南指矢天日，以坚永约，女乃允之。自此为始，瞰窦他出，即过缱绻。女促之曰：「桑中之约，不可长也。日在帡幪之下，倘肯赐以姻好，父母必以为荣，当无不谐。宜速为计！」南诺之。转念农家岂堪匹耦？姑假其词以因循之。
The next day he took grain and silk to repay the man, and used this as a step to get closer. After that he often dropped in on Dou, sometimes bringing food and wine, and would stay a long while. The girl grew used to him and no longer kept out of his way; she would hurry back and forth in front of him. When he looked at her sidelong, she lowered her head and smiled. Nan was more infatuated than ever, and never let three days pass without going. One day Dou happened to be out. Nan sat a long while, and the girl came out to see to the guest. Nan seized her arm and took liberties with her. Ashamed and frantic, she pushed him away sternly. “I may be poor, but I mean to be married properly. How can you be so proud and bully people!” Nan had lost his wife at the time, so he bowed to her and said, “If you will take pity on me, I will marry no one else.” She demanded an oath. Nan swore by the sun in heaven that the promise would hold forever, and then she gave in. From then on, whenever he saw that Dou had gone out, he came over and they made love. The girl pressed him. “Meetings among the mulberries can’t go on for long. We live under your protection every day. If you would grant us a marriage, my parents would think it an honour; nothing could stand in the way. You must arrange it quickly!” Nan agreed. But on second thought: how could a farmer’s daughter be a fit match for him? For now he would use words to put her off.
會媒來為議姻於大家；初尚躊躇，既聞貌美財豐，志遂決。女以體孕，催併益急，南遂絕跡不往。無何，女臨蓐，產一男。父怒搒女。女以情告，且言：「南要我矣。」竇乃釋女，使人問南；南立即不承。竇乃棄兒，益扑女。女暗哀鄰婦，告南以苦。南亦置之。女夜亡，視棄兒猶活，遂抱以奔南。款關而告閽者曰：「但得主人一言，我可不死。彼即不念我，寧不念兒耶？」閽人具以達南，南戒勿內。女倚戶悲啼，五更始不復聞。質明視之，女抱兒坐僵矣。竇忿，訟之上官，悉以南不義，欲罪南。南懼，以千金行賂得免。
会媒来为议姻于大家；初尚踌躇，既闻貌美财丰，志遂决。女以体孕，催并益急，南遂绝迹不往。无何，女临蓐，产一男。父怒搒女。女以情告，且言：「南要我矣。」窦乃释女，使人问南；南立即不承。窦乃弃儿，益扑女。女暗哀邻妇，告南以苦。南亦置之。女夜亡，视弃儿犹活，遂抱以奔南。款关而告阍者曰：「但得主人一言，我可不死。彼即不念我，宁不念儿耶？」阍人具以达南，南戒勿内。女倚户悲啼，五更始不复闻。质明视之，女抱儿坐僵矣。窦忿，讼之上官，悉以南不义，欲罪南。南惧，以千金行赂得免。
Just then a matchmaker came to propose a match with a great family. At first Nan hesitated, but when he heard that the girl was beautiful and rich, his mind was made up. The Dou girl, who was with child, pressed him harder and harder, and Nan stopped going there at all. Before long her time came and she bore a son. Her father in a rage beat her. She told him the truth, and said, “Nan has promised to marry me.” So Dou let her be and sent someone to ask Nan. Nan at once denied it. Dou then threw out the baby and beat the girl harder than before. She secretly begged a neighbour woman to tell Nan how she was suffering. Nan ignored this too. One night she ran away. Finding the abandoned baby still alive, she took it up and fled with it to Nan. She knocked at the gate and said to the gatekeeper, “If I can have one word from your master, I need not die. Even if he cares nothing for me, does he care nothing for the child?” The gatekeeper told Nan everything. Nan ordered him not to let her in. She leaned against the gate weeping bitterly, and only in the fifth watch, just before dawn, was she heard no more. At daybreak they looked: she was sitting stiff and dead, the child in her arms. Dou, furious, brought a suit against Nan before the higher authorities, who all held that Nan had acted wrongly and meant to punish him. Nan was frightened, and got off by paying a thousand taels in bribes.