俞慎，字謹庵，順天舊家子。赴試入都，舍於郊郭。時見對戶一少年，美如冠玉。心好之，漸近與語，風雅尤絕。大悅，捉臂邀至寓，便相款宴。審其姓氏，自言：「金陵人，姓俞，名士忱，字恂九。」公子聞與同姓，又益親洽，因訂為昆仲；少年遂以名減字為忱。
俞慎，字谨庵，顺天旧家子。赴试入都，舍于郊郭。时见对户一少年，美如冠玉。心好之，渐近与语，风雅尤绝。大悦，捉臂邀至寓，便相款宴。审其姓氏，自言：「金陵人，姓俞，名士忱，字恂九。」公子闻与同姓，又益亲洽，因订为昆仲；少年遂以名减字为忱。
Yu Shen, styled Jin’an, was the young master of an old family of Shuntian. He went to the capital for the examinations and took lodgings outside the city wall. He often saw a young man in the house across the way, his looks as fine as the jade on a cap. Yu took to him, drew closer little by little and spoke with him, and found him refined beyond compare. Delighted, he took him by the arm, invited him back to his lodging and gave him a feast. When he asked his name, the young man said, “I am from Jinling. My surname is Yu, my name Shichen, and my courtesy name Xunjiu.” Hearing that they shared a surname, the young master grew closer to him still, and they swore to be brothers. The young man then shortened his name to the single character Chen.
明日，過其家，書舍光潔；然門庭踧落，更無廝僕。引公子入內，呼妹出拜，年十三四以來，肌膚瑩澈，粉玉無其白也。少頃，托茗獻客，似家中亦無婢媼。公子異之，數語遂出。由是友愛如胞。恂九無日不來寓所；或留共宿，則以弱妹無伴為辭。公子曰：「吾弟流寓千里，曾無應門之僮，兄妹纖弱，何以為生矣？計不如從我去，有斗舍可共棲止，如何？」恂九喜，約以闈後。試畢，恂九邀公子去，曰：「中秋月明如晝，妹子素秋，具有蔬酒，勿違其意。」竟挽入內。素秋出，略道溫涼，便入複室，下簾治具。少間，自出行炙。公子起曰：「妹子奔波，情何以忍！」素秋笑入。頃之，搴簾出，則一青衣婢捧壺；又一媼托柈進烹魚。公子訝曰：「此輩何來？不早從事，而煩妹子？」恂九微哂曰：「素秋又弄怪矣。」但聞簾內吃吃作笑聲，公子不解其故。既而筵終，婢媼徹器，公子適嗽，悞墮婢衣；婢隨唾而倒，碎椀流炙。視婢，則帛剪小人，僅四寸許。恂九大笑。素秋笑出，拾之而去。俄而婢復出，奔走如故，公子大異之。恂九曰：「此不過妹子幼時，卜紫姑之小技耳。」公子因問：「弟妹都已長成，何未婚姻？」答云：「先人即世，去留尚無定所，故此遲遲。」遂與商定行期，鬻宅，攜妹與公子俱西。既歸，除舍舍之；又遣一婢為之服役。
明日，过其家，书舍光洁；然门庭踧落，更无厮仆。引公子入内，呼妹出拜，年十三四以来，肌肤莹澈，粉玉无其白也。少顷，托茗献客，似家中亦无婢媪。公子异之，数语遂出。由是友爱如胞。恂九无日不来寓所；或留共宿，则以弱妹无伴为辞。公子曰：「吾弟流寓千里，曾无应门之僮，兄妹纤弱，何以为生矣？计不如从我去，有斗舍可共栖止，如何？」恂九喜，约以闱后。试毕，恂九邀公子去，曰：「中秋月明如昼，妹子素秋，具有蔬酒，勿违其意。」竟挽入内。素秋出，略道温凉，便入复室，下帘治具。少间，自出行炙。公子起曰：「妹子奔波，情何以忍！」素秋笑入。顷之，搴帘出，则一青衣婢捧壶；又一媪托柈进烹鱼。公子讶曰：「此辈何来？不早从事，而烦妹子？」恂九微哂曰：「素秋又弄怪矣。」但闻帘内吃吃作笑声，公子不解其故。既而筵终，婢媪彻器，公子适嗽，悮堕婢衣；婢随唾而倒，碎椀流炙。视婢，则帛剪小人，仅四寸许。恂九大笑。素秋笑出，拾之而去。俄而婢复出，奔走如故，公子大异之。恂九曰：「此不过妹子幼时，卜紫姑之小技耳。」公子因问：「弟妹都已长成，何未婚姻？」答云：「先人即世，去留尚无定所，故此迟迟。」遂与商定行期，鬻宅，携妹与公子俱西。既归，除舍舍之；又遣一婢为之服役。
Next day the young master called at his house. The study was bright and clean, but the gate and courtyard were bare and forlorn, with not a single servant. Xunjiu led him into the inner rooms and called his sister out to greet him. She was thirteen or fourteen, her skin so lustrous and clear that powdered jade could not match its whiteness. Presently she brought tea for the guest on a tray; it seemed there were no maids or old women in the house either. The young master thought it strange, and left after a few words. From then on they were as fond of each other as brothers born. Not a day passed that Xunjiu did not come to the lodging; but if he was asked to stay the night, he would excuse himself because his young sister had no one with her. The young master said, “You are living a thousand miles from home, brother, and you haven’t even a boy to answer the door. You and your sister are young and frail. How will you live? You had better come with me. I have a tiny house where we can all stay. What do you say?” Xunjiu was glad, and they agreed on it for after the examination. When the examination was over, Xunjiu invited the young master to come home with him. “The mid-autumn moon is as bright as day,” he said. “My sister Suqiu has prepared some vegetables and wine. Don’t refuse her.” And he pulled him into the inner rooms. Suqiu came out, said a few words of greeting, then went into the back room, let down the curtain and set about the meal. After a while she came out herself to serve the roast meat. The young master rose. “My little sister running back and forth for us! How can I bear it?” Suqiu laughed and went in. Soon the curtain was lifted, and out came a maid in a blue dress carrying a wine pot, then an old woman bringing cooked fish on a platter. The young master was surprised. “Where did these come from? Why didn’t they do the work earlier, instead of troubling my sister?” Xunjiu gave a slight smile. “Suqiu is playing tricks again.” From behind the curtain came the sound of giggling. The young master did not understand. When the feast was over and the maid and the old woman were clearing the dishes, the young master happened to cough, and spat on the maid’s dress by mistake. At the spittle the maid fell over; the bowl broke and the food spilled. He looked at the maid: she was a little figure cut out of silk, barely four inches tall. Xunjiu roared with laughter. Suqiu came out laughing, picked it up and went in. In a moment the maid came out again and ran about as before. The young master was astonished. “It’s nothing but a little trick my sister learned as a child, divining with the Purple Maiden,” said Xunjiu. The young master then asked, “You and your sister are both grown. Why are you not married?” “Since our parents passed away,” he answered, “we have had no settled place to go or stay, and so it has waited.” They agreed on a day to leave. Xunjiu sold the house and, bringing his sister, went west with the young master. When they got home, the young master cleared out a house for them to live in, and sent a maid to wait on them.
公子妻，韓侍郎之猶女也，尤憐愛素秋，飲食共之。公子與恂九亦然。而恂九又最慧，目下十行，試作一藝，老宿不能及之。公子勸赴童子試。恂九曰：「姑為此業者，聊與君分苦耳。自審福薄，不堪仕進；且一入此途，遂不能不戚戚於得失，故不為也。」居三年，公子又下第。恂九大為扼腕，奮然曰：「榜上一名，何遂艱難若此！我初不欲為成敗所惑，故寧寂寂耳；今見大哥不能自發舒，不覺中熱，十九歲老童，當效駒馳也。」公子喜，試期，送入場，邑、郡、道皆第一。益與公子下帷攻苦。踰年科試，並為郡、邑冠軍。恂九名大譟，遠近爭婚之，恂九悉卻去。公子力勸之，乃以場後為解。
公子妻，韩侍郎之犹女也，尤怜爱素秋，饮食共之。公子与恂九亦然。而恂九又最慧，目下十行，试作一艺，老宿不能及之。公子劝赴童子试。恂九曰：「姑为此业者，聊与君分苦耳。自审福薄，不堪仕进；且一入此途，遂不能不戚戚于得失，故不为也。」居三年，公子又下第。恂九大为扼腕，奋然曰：「榜上一名，何遂艰难若此！我初不欲为成败所惑，故宁寂寂耳；今见大哥不能自发舒，不觉中热，十九岁老童，当效驹驰也。」公子喜，试期，送入场，邑、郡、道皆第一。益与公子下帷攻苦。逾年科试，并为郡、邑冠军。恂九名大噪，远近争婚之，恂九悉却去。公子力劝之，乃以场后为解。
The young master’s wife was a niece of Vice Minister Han. She loved Suqiu dearly and shared her meals with her, and the young master and Xunjiu were the same. Xunjiu was also exceptionally clever: he could read ten lines at a glance, and when he tried his hand at an examination essay, seasoned old scholars could not match it. The young master urged him to sit the boys’ examination. Xunjiu said, “I only took up this work to share your hardship a little. I know my fortune is thin and I am not fit for an official career. Besides, once a man sets out on that road, he cannot help fretting over success and failure. So I won’t.” Three years passed, and the young master failed again. Xunjiu was bitterly upset for him. “A name on the list!” he said with fervour. “How can it be so hard? At first I did not want to be troubled by success and failure, so I chose to stay quiet. But seeing you, Big Brother, unable to make your way, my blood is up. Old boy candidate of nineteen that I am, I will gallop like a colt.” The young master was delighted. When the examinations came he saw him into the hall, and Xunjiu came out first in the county, the prefecture and the circuit. He shut himself away with the young master and studied all the harder. The following year, at the qualifying examination, the two of them came out first in the prefecture and the county. Xunjiu’s fame resounded; families near and far competed to marry their daughters to him, but he turned them all away. When the young master pressed him, he put it off until after the examination.