淮上貢士周天儀，年五旬，止一子，名克昌，愛暱之。至十三四歲，丰姿益秀；而性不喜讀，輒逃塾，從群兒戲，恆終日不返。周亦聽之。一日，既暮不歸，始尋之，殊竟烏有。夫妻號咷，幾不欲生。年餘，昌忽自至。言：「為道士迷去，幸不見害。值其他出，得逃而歸。」周喜極，亦不追問。及教以讀，慧悟倍於疇曩。踰年，文思大進，既入郡庠試，遂知名。世族爭婚，昌頗不願。趙進士女有姿，周強為娶之。既入門，夫妻調笑甚懽；而昌恆獨宿，若無所私。逾年，秋戰而捷。周益慰。然年漸暮，日望抱孫，故嘗隱諷昌。昌漠若不解。母不能忍，朝夕多絮語。昌變色，出曰：「我久欲亡去，所不遽捨者，顧復之情耳。實不能探討房帷，以慰所望。請仍去，彼順志者且復來矣。」媼追曳之，已踣，衣冠如蛻。大駭，疑昌已死，是必其鬼也。悲嘆而已。次日，昌忽僕馬而至，舉家惶駭。近詰之，亦言：為惡人略賣於富商之家；商無子，子焉。得昌後，忽生一子。昌思家，遂送之歸。問所學，則頑鈍如昔。乃知此為真昌；其入泮鄉捷者，鬼之假也。然竊喜其事未泄，即使襲孝廉之名。入房，婦甚狎熟；而昌靦然有愧色，似新婚者。甫周年，生子矣。
淮上贡士周天仪，年五旬，止一子，名克昌，爱暱之。至十三四岁，丰姿益秀；而性不喜读，辄逃塾，从群儿戏，恒终日不返。周亦听之。一日，既暮不归，始寻之，殊竟乌有。夫妻号咷，几不欲生。年余，昌忽自至。言：「为道士迷去，幸不见害。值其他出，得逃而归。」周喜极，亦不追问。及教以读，慧悟倍于畴曩。逾年，文思大进，既入郡庠试，遂知名。世族争婚，昌颇不愿。赵进士女有姿，周强为娶之。既入门，夫妻调笑甚懽；而昌恒独宿，若无所私。逾年，秋战而捷。周益慰。然年渐暮，日望抱孙，故尝隐讽昌。昌漠若不解。母不能忍，朝夕多絮语。昌变色，出曰：「我久欲亡去，所不遽舍者，顾复之情耳。实不能探讨房帷，以慰所望。请仍去，彼顺志者且复来矣。」媪追曳之，已踣，衣冠如蜕。大骇，疑昌已死，是必其鬼也。悲叹而已。次日，昌忽仆马而至，举家惶骇。近诘之，亦言：为恶人略卖于富商之家；商无子，子焉。得昌后，忽生一子。昌思家，遂送之归。问所学，则顽钝如昔。乃知此为真昌；其入泮乡捷者，鬼之假也。然窃喜其事未泄，即使袭孝廉之名。入房，妇甚狎熟；而昌腼然有愧色，似新婚者。甫周年，生子矣。
Zhou Tianyi, a tribute student from the banks of the Huai, was fifty years old and had only one son, named Kechang, whom he doted on. By thirteen or fourteen the boy was growing handsomer every year; but he had no taste for books. He kept running off from school to play with a crowd of other boys, and often stayed away all day. Zhou let him be. One day the boy did not come home after dark. They went to look for him at last, but he was nowhere to be found. Husband and wife wailed and wept, and hardly wished to live. More than a year later Kechang suddenly came home on his own. “A Daoist bewitched me and led me away,” he said. “Luckily he did me no harm. When he happened to be out, I managed to escape and come home.” Zhou was overjoyed and asked no more. When the boy was set to his books, he proved twice as quick and clever as before. A year later his writing had come on greatly; he entered the prefectural school, and at the examinations made a name for himself. Old families vied to marry their daughters to him, but Kechang was most unwilling. A jinshi named Zhao had a beautiful daughter, and Zhou made his son marry her. Once she had come into the house, husband and wife joked and flirted together very happily; yet Kechang always slept alone, as though he had no desire for her. The next year he sat the autumn examination and passed. Zhou was all the more content. But he was growing old and longed every day for a grandson to hold, so he would drop hints to Kechang. Kechang was cold and seemed not to understand. His mother could not bear it, and nagged him morning and night. Kechang’s face changed. He went out, saying, “I have long wanted to go away. What kept me from leaving at once was only your loving care of me. I truly cannot go prying behind the bed curtains to give you what you hope for. Let me go now; the one who will do as you wish will soon be back.” His mother ran after him and caught hold of him. He fell, and there lay his clothes and cap like a cast-off skin. They were terrified. They thought Kechang must have died long ago and this had been his ghost. There was nothing to do but grieve. The next day Kechang suddenly arrived with a servant and a horse, and the whole household was struck with dread. When they came close and questioned him, he too had a story: villains had kidnapped him and sold him to a rich merchant’s family. The merchant had no son and took him as his own. After he got Kechang, the merchant suddenly had a son of his own. Kechang missed his home, so the merchant sent him back. When they asked about his studies, he was as dull and stubborn as ever. Then they knew that this was the real Kechang; the one who had entered the school and passed the provincial examination had been a ghost in disguise. But they were secretly glad that the matter had not got out, and had him simply take over the title of provincial graduate. In the bedroom his wife was very familiar with him, while Kechang blushed and looked abashed, like a new bridegroom. Barely a year later, a son was born.