陽信某翁者，邑之蔡店人。村去城五六里，父子設臨路店，宿行商。有車伕數人，往來負販，輒寓其家。一日昏暮，四人偕來，望門投止，則翁家各客宿邸滿。四人計無復之，堅請容納。翁沉吟思得一所，似恐不當客意。客言：「但求一席廈宇，更不敢有所擇。」時翁有子婦新死，停尸室中，子出購材木未歸。翁以靈所室寂，遂穿衢導客往。入其廬，燈昏案上；案後有搭帳衣，紙衾覆逝者。又觀寢所，則復室中有連榻。四客奔波頗困，甫就枕，鼻息漸粗。惟一客尚朦朧。忽聞靈床上察察有聲，急開目，則靈前燈火，照視甚了：女尸已揭衾起；俄而下，漸入臥室。面淡金色，生絹抹額。俯近榻前，遍吹臥客者三。客大懼，恐將及己，潛引被覆首，閉息忍咽以聽之。未幾，女果來，吹之如諸客。覺出房去，即聞紙衾聲。出首微窺，見僵臥猶初矣。客懼甚，不敢作聲，陰以足踏諸客；而諸客絕無少動。顧念無計，不如著衣以竄。裁起振衣，而察察之聲又作。客懼，復伏，縮首衾中。覺女復來，連續吹數數始去。少間，聞靈床作響，知其復臥。乃從被底漸漸出手得褲，遽就著之，白足奔出。尸亦起，似將逐客。比其離幃，而客已拔關出矣。尸馳從之。客且奔且號，村中人無有警者。欲扣主人之門，又恐遲為所及。遂望邑城路，極力竄去。至東郊，瞥見蘭若，聞木魚聲，乃急撾山門。道人訝其非常，又不即納。旋踵，尸已至，去身盈尺。客窘益甚。門外有白楊，圍四五尺許，因以樹自幛；彼右則左之，彼左則右之。尸益怒。然各浸倦矣。尸頓立。客汗促氣逆，庇樹間。尸暴起，伸兩臂隔樹探扑之。客驚仆。尸捉之不得，抱樹而僵。
阳信某翁者，邑之蔡店人。村去城五六里，父子设临路店，宿行商。有车伕数人，往来负贩，辄寓其家。一日昏暮，四人偕来，望门投止，则翁家各客宿邸满。四人计无复之，坚请容纳。翁沉吟思得一所，似恐不当客意。客言：「但求一席厦宇，更不敢有所择。」时翁有子妇新死，停尸室中，子出购材木未归。翁以灵所室寂，遂穿衢导客往。入其庐，灯昏案上；案后有搭帐衣，纸衾覆逝者。又观寝所，则复室中有连榻。四客奔波颇困，甫就枕，鼻息渐粗。惟一客尚朦胧。忽闻灵床上察察有声，急开目，则灵前灯火，照视甚了：女尸已揭衾起；俄而下，渐入卧室。面淡金色，生绢抹额。俯近榻前，遍吹卧客者三。客大惧，恐将及己，潜引被覆首，闭息忍咽以听之。未几，女果来，吹之如诸客。觉出房去，即闻纸衾声。出首微窥，见僵卧犹初矣。客惧甚，不敢作声，阴以足踏诸客；而诸客绝无少动。顾念无计，不如着衣以窜。裁起振衣，而察察之声又作。客惧，复伏，缩首衾中。觉女复来，连续吹数数始去。少间，闻灵床作响，知其复卧。乃从被底渐渐出手得裤，遽就着之，白足奔出。尸亦起，似将逐客。比其离帏，而客已拔关出矣。尸驰从之。客且奔且号，村中人无有警者。欲扣主人之门，又恐迟为所及。遂望邑城路，极力窜去。至东郊，瞥见兰若，闻木鱼声，乃急挝山门。道人讶其非常，又不即纳。旋踵，尸已至，去身盈尺。客窘益甚。门外有白杨，围四五尺许，因以树自幛；彼右则左之，彼左则右之。尸益怒。然各浸倦矣。尸顿立。客汗促气逆，庇树间。尸暴起，伸两臂隔树探扑之。客惊仆。尸捉之不得，抱树而僵。
There was an old man of Yangxin who lived in Caidian, a village in that county, five or six li from the town. He and his son kept an inn by the road where travelling merchants put up for the night. Some carters who hauled goods back and forth always stayed with them. One day at dusk four of them came together, looking for a bed, but every room in the old man’s house was taken. With nowhere else to go, the four pressed him to find them a place. The old man thought it over and hit upon one spot, though he seemed to fear it would not suit them. “All we ask is a mat under a roof,” said the carters. “We wouldn’t dare be choosy.” Now the old man’s daughter-in-law had just died, and her body lay in a room there; his son had gone out to buy wood for the coffin and was not yet back. Since the room where she was laid out was quiet, the old man took the carters across the road to it. They went in. A lamp burned dimly on a table. Behind the table a curtain was hung, and a paper shroud covered the dead woman. They looked at where they were to sleep: in an inner room was a long bed for them all. The four had been on the road a long time and were very tired. No sooner were their heads on the pillow than their breathing grew heavy. Only one of them was still half awake. Suddenly he heard a rustling from the bier. He opened his eyes at once. The lamp before the bier lit everything clearly: the woman’s corpse had thrown off the shroud and sat up. In a moment it got down and came slowly into the bedroom. Its face was a pale yellow-gold, and a band of raw silk was bound about its brow. It bent over the bed and blew on each of the sleepers, three times. The carter was terrified. Fearing his turn would come, he quietly drew the quilt over his head, held his breath, not daring even to swallow, and listened. Before long the woman did come, and blew on him as she had on the others. He felt her leave the room, and then he heard the rustle of the paper shroud. He put his head out and peeped: she lay stiff, just as before. More frightened than ever, not daring to make a sound, he nudged the others with his foot, but they did not stir at all. He could think of nothing better than to put on his clothes and run. He had barely got up and shaken out his clothes when the rustling came again. In terror he lay down and pulled his head under the quilt. He felt the woman come back and blow on him again and again before she went away. After a little he heard the bier creak and knew she had lain down again. Then, little by little, he slipped a hand out from under the quilt, found his trousers, pulled them on in a rush and ran out barefoot. The corpse got up too, as if to come after him. By the time it was out from behind the curtain, he had drawn the bolt and was outside. The corpse ran after him. He ran and yelled, but no one in the village woke. He thought of knocking at his host’s door, but feared he would be caught while he waited. So he made for the road to the county town and fled as fast as he could. When he reached the eastern outskirts, he caught sight of a temple and heard the knock of a wooden fish, and he pounded on the temple gate. The monk, startled that anything so strange should be happening, did not let him in at once. In a moment the corpse was there, no more than a foot from him. The carter was more desperate than ever. Outside the gate stood a white poplar, four or five feet around, and he kept the tree between himself and it: when it went right, he went left; when it went left, he went right. The corpse grew more furious. But both of them were slowly tiring. The corpse stood still. Sweating and gasping, the carter sheltered behind the tree. Suddenly the corpse sprang at him, reaching round the tree with both arms to seize him. The carter fell down in terror. The corpse missed him, and stiffened there with its arms around the tree.
道人竊聽良久，無聲，始漸出，見客臥地上。燭之死，然心下絲絲有動氣。負入，終夜始蘇。飲以湯水而問之，客具以狀對。時晨鐘已盡，曉色迷蒙，道人覘樹上，果見僵女。大駭，報邑宰。宰親詣質驗。使人拔女手，牢不可開。審諦之，則左右四指，並卷如鉤，入木沒甲。又數人力拔，乃得下。視指穴如鑿孔然。遣役探翁家，則以尸亡客斃，紛紛正嘩。役告之故。翁乃從往，舁尸歸。客泣告宰曰：「身四人出，今一人歸，此情何以信鄉里？」宰與之牒，齎送以歸。
道人窃听良久，无声，始渐出，见客卧地上。烛之死，然心下丝丝有动气。负入，终夜始苏。饮以汤水而问之，客具以状对。时晨钟已尽，晓色迷蒙，道人觇树上，果见僵女。大骇，报邑宰。宰亲诣质验。使人拔女手，牢不可开。审谛之，则左右四指，并卷如钩，入木没甲。又数人力拔，乃得下。视指穴如凿孔然。遣役探翁家，则以尸亡客毙，纷纷正哗。役告之故。翁乃从往，舁尸归。客泣告宰曰：「身四人出，今一人归，此情何以信乡里？」宰与之牒，赍送以归。
The monk had been listening in secret for a long time. When all was quiet he crept out and found the carter lying on the ground. By candlelight he looked dead, but under his heart there was still the faintest stir of breath. The monk carried him in, and not until the night was over did he come round. The monk gave him some hot water to drink and asked what had happened, and the carter told him everything. By then the morning bell had finished ringing and the dawn was grey and misty. The monk went to look at the tree, and there indeed was the woman, stiff. Horrified, he reported it to the county magistrate. The magistrate came in person to examine the body. He had men pull the woman’s hands away, but they were clamped fast and would not open. Looking closely, they saw that the four fingers of each hand were curled like hooks and sunk into the wood past the nails. Several more men pulled with all their strength, and at last she came down. The holes the fingers left looked as if they had been made with a chisel. The magistrate sent a runner to the old man’s house, where everyone was in an uproar: the corpse was gone and the guests were dead. The runner told them what had happened. The old man went back with him and had the body carried home. The carter wept and said to the magistrate, “Four of us set out, and now one goes home. How will anyone back home believe this?” The magistrate gave him a letter to vouch for him, and money for the road, and sent him home.