封云亭，太行人。偶至郡，晝臥寓屋。時年少喪偶，岑寂之下，頗有所思。凝視間，見牆上有女子影，依稀如畫。念必意想所致。而久之不動，亦不滅，異之。起視轉真；再近之，儼然少女，容蹙舌伸，索環秀領。驚顧未已，冉冉欲下。知為縊鬼，然以白晝壯膽，不大畏怯。語曰：「娘子如有奇冤，小生可以極力。」影居然下，曰：「萍水之人，何敢遽以重務浼君子。但泉下槁骸，舌不得縮，索不得除，求斷屋梁而焚之，恩同山岳矣。」諾之，遂滅。呼主人來，問所見。主人言：「此十年前梅氏故宅，夜有小偷入室，為梅所執，送詣典史。典史受盜錢三百，誣其女與通，將拘審驗。女聞自經。後梅夫妻相繼卒，宅歸於余。客往往見怪異，而無術可以靖之。」封以鬼言告主人。計毀舍易楹，費不貲，故難之；封乃協力助作。既就而復居之。梅女夜至，展謝已，喜氣充溢，姿態嫣然。封愛悅之，欲與為懽。瞞然而慚曰：「陰慘之氣，非但不為君利；若此之為，則生前之垢，西江不可濯矣。會合有時，今日尚未。」問：「何時？」但笑不言。封問：「飲乎？」答曰：「不飲。」封曰：「對佳人，悶眼相看，亦復何味？」女曰：「妾生平戲技，惟諳打馬。但兩人寥落，夜深又苦無局。今長夜莫遣，聊與君為交線之戲。」封從之。促膝戟指，翻變良久，封迷亂不知所從；女輒口道而頤指之，愈出愈幻，不窮於術。封笑曰：「此閨房之絕技也。」女曰：「此妾自悟，但有雙線，即可成文，人自不之察耳。」更闌頗怠，強使就寢，曰：「我陰人不寐，請自休。妾少解按摩之術，願盡技能，以侑清夢。」封從其請。女疊掌為之輕按，自頂及踵皆遍；手所經，骨若醉。既而握指細擂，如以團絮相觸狀，體暢舒不可言：擂至腰，口目皆慵；至股，則沉沉睡去矣。及醒，日已向午，覺骨節輕和，殊於往日。心益愛慕，繞屋而呼之，並無響應。
封云亭，太行人。偶至郡，昼卧寓屋。时年少丧偶，岑寂之下，颇有所思。凝视间，见墙上有女子影，依稀如画。念必意想所致。而久之不动，亦不灭，异之。起视转真；再近之，俨然少女，容蹙舌伸，索环秀领。惊顾未已，冉冉欲下。知为缢鬼，然以白昼壮胆，不大畏怯。语曰：「娘子如有奇冤，小生可以极力。」影居然下，曰：「萍水之人，何敢遽以重务浼君子。但泉下槁骸，舌不得缩，索不得除，求断屋梁而焚之，恩同山岳矣。」诺之，遂灭。呼主人来，问所见。主人言：「此十年前梅氏故宅，夜有小偷入室，为梅所执，送诣典史。典史受盗钱三百，诬其女与通，将拘审验。女闻自经。后梅夫妻相继卒，宅归于余。客往往见怪异，而无术可以靖之。」封以鬼言告主人。计毁舍易楹，费不赀，故难之；封乃协力助作。既就而复居之。梅女夜至，展谢已，喜气充溢，姿态嫣然。封爱悦之，欲与为懽。瞒然而惭曰：「阴惨之气，非但不为君利；若此之为，则生前之垢，西江不可濯矣。会合有时，今日尚未。」问：「何时？」但笑不言。封问：「饮乎？」答曰：「不饮。」封曰：「对佳人，闷眼相看，亦复何味？」女曰：「妾生平戏技，惟谙打马。但两人寥落，夜深又苦无局。今长夜莫遣，聊与君为交线之戏。」封从之。促膝戟指，翻变良久，封迷乱不知所从；女辄口道而颐指之，愈出愈幻，不穷于术。封笑曰：「此闺房之绝技也。」女曰：「此妾自悟，但有双线，即可成文，人自不之察耳。」更阑颇怠，强使就寝，曰：「我阴人不寐，请自休。妾少解按摩之术，愿尽技能，以侑清梦。」封从其请。女叠掌为之轻按，自顶及踵皆遍；手所经，骨若醉。既而握指细擂，如以团絮相触状，体畅舒不可言：擂至腰，口目皆慵；至股，则沉沉睡去矣。及醒，日已向午，觉骨节轻和，殊于往日。心益爱慕，绕屋而呼之，并无响应。
Feng Yunting was a man of Taihang. Once, on a visit to the prefecture, he was lying down in the daytime in his lodgings. He was young and had lately lost his wife, and in his loneliness he was given to longing. As he gazed at the wall he saw the shadow of a woman on it, faint, like a painting. He thought it must be his own imaginings. But it stayed a long while without moving and without fading, and he wondered at it. He got up to look, and it grew clearer; he went closer, and it was plainly a young girl, her face pinched, her tongue hanging out, a rope round her lovely neck. While he still stared in alarm, she began slowly to come down. He knew her for the ghost of a hanged woman, but broad daylight gave him courage and he was not much afraid. “Lady,” he said, “if you have suffered some strange wrong, I will do all I can.” And the shadow did come down. “We are strangers, met by chance like duckweed on the water,” she said. “How could I dare burden a gentleman with a heavy task at once? But my withered bones lie at the Yellow Springs, my tongue cannot draw back in, the rope cannot be taken off. I beg you to break the roof beam and burn it. Your kindness would be as great as the mountains.” He promised, and she vanished. He called the landlord and asked about what he had seen. “Ten years ago,” the landlord said, “this was the house of the Mei family. One night a thief broke in. Mei caught him and took him to the jail warden. The warden took three hundred cash from the thief and accused Mei’s daughter of carrying on with him, and was going to have her taken in for questioning and a physical examination. When she heard, she hanged herself. Afterwards Mei and his wife died one after the other, and the house came to me. Lodgers often see strange things, and I have no way to put a stop to it.” Feng told the landlord what the ghost had said. Pulling down the house and replacing the timbers would cost a great deal, so the landlord was reluctant; Feng put in his share and helped with the work. When it was done he moved back in. That night Miss Mei came. When she had made her thanks she was all happiness, and lovely in every movement. Feng was charmed and wanted to make love to her. She looked down, ashamed. “The cold dark air of the dead would do you no good. And if I did this, the filth they put on my name while I lived could not be washed away by all the West River. We will come together in time, but the day is not yet.” “When?” he asked. She only smiled and said nothing. “Will you drink?” asked Feng. “I don’t drink.” “Sitting across from a beauty and staring glumly at each other,” said Feng, “what pleasure is there in that?” “The only game I ever knew in life was the horse game,” she said. “But two is too few for it, and this late at night there is no board to be had. Still, the night is long and must be passed somehow, so let us play cat’s cradle.” Feng agreed. Knee to knee, fingers spread, they passed the string back and forth a long while, until Feng was lost and did not know what to do next; then she would tell him, pointing with her chin, and the figures grew stranger and stranger, her tricks never running out. “This is the high art of the women’s quarters,” said Feng, laughing. “I worked it out myself,” she said. “With a double string you can make any pattern. People just never notice.” Late in the night he grew tired, and she made him go to bed. “I am of the dark world and do not sleep,” she said. “Please rest. I know a little massage; let me do my best, to see you into sweet dreams.” Feng did as she asked. She laid one palm over the other and pressed lightly all over him, from crown to heel; wherever her hands passed, his bones felt drunk. Then she closed her fingers and tapped him gently, like the touch of balls of cotton wool, and his body felt easier than words can say. By the time she reached his waist his mouth and eyes were heavy; by his thighs he was sound asleep. When he woke it was nearly noon. His joints felt light and easy as never before. He loved her all the more, and went round the room calling her, but there was no answer.
日夕，女始至。封曰：「卿居何所，使我呼欲遍？」曰：「鬼無常所，要在地下。」問：「地下有隙，可容身乎？」曰：「鬼不見地，猶魚不見水也。」封握腕曰：「使卿而活，當破產購致之。」女笑曰：「無須破產。」戲至半夜，封苦逼之。女曰：「君勿纏我。有浙娼愛卿者，新寓北鄰，頗極風致。明夕，招與俱來，聊以自代，若何？」封允之。
日夕，女始至。封曰：「卿居何所，使我呼欲遍？」曰：「鬼无常所，要在地下。」问：「地下有隙，可容身乎？」曰：「鬼不见地，犹鱼不见水也。」封握腕曰：「使卿而活，当破产购致之。」女笑曰：「无须破产。」戏至半夜，封苦逼之。女曰：「君勿缠我。有浙娼爱卿者，新寓北邻，颇极风致。明夕，招与俱来，聊以自代，若何？」封允之。
Not until evening did she come. “Where do you live, my dear,” said Feng, “that I called for you everywhere?” “A ghost has no fixed home,” she said. “Mostly we are under the ground.” “Are there cracks in the ground big enough to hold you?” “A ghost does not see the earth, any more than a fish sees the water.” Feng took her wrist. “If only you were alive, I would spend all I have to win you.” She laughed. “No need to spend all you have.” They played until midnight, and Feng pressed her hard. “Don’t pester me,” she said. “There is a courtesan from Zhejiang called Aiqing who has just come to lodge next door to the north, a very charming woman. Tomorrow night I’ll bring her along to take my place. How would that be?” Feng agreed.
次夕，果與一少婦同至，年近三十已來，眉目流轉，隱含蕩意。三人狎坐，打馬為戲。局終，女起曰：「嘉會方殷，我且去。」封欲挽之，飄然已逝。兩人登榻，于飛甚樂。詰其家世，則含糊不以盡道。但曰：「郎如愛妾，當以指彈北壁，微呼曰：『壺盧子』，即至。三呼不應，可知不暇，勿更招也。」天曉，入北壁隙中而去。
次夕，果与一少妇同至，年近三十已来，眉目流转，隐含荡意。三人狎坐，打马为戏。局终，女起曰：「嘉会方殷，我且去。」封欲挽之，飘然已逝。两人登榻，于飞甚乐。诘其家世，则含糊不以尽道。但曰：「郎如爱妾，当以指弹北壁，微呼曰：『壶卢子』，即至。三呼不应，可知不暇，勿更招也。」天晓，入北壁隙中而去。
The next evening she did come, with a young married woman of nearly thirty whose eyes roved and darted with a hint of wantonness. The three of them sat close together and played the horse game. When the game was over Miss Mei rose. “The happy meeting is just warming up. I’ll be going.” Feng tried to hold her back, but she had drifted away. The two of them went to bed and took great pleasure together. He asked about her family, but she was vague and would not tell him all of it. She only said, “If you care for me, flick the north wall with your finger and call softly, ‘Little Gourd,’ and I’ll come. If I don’t answer after three calls, you’ll know I’m busy; don’t call again.” At dawn she went into a crack in the north wall and was gone.