涇河之側，有士人子申氏者，家窶貧，竟日恆不舉火。夫妻相對，無以為計。妻曰：「無已，子其盜乎！」申曰：「士人子，不能亢宗，而辱門戶、羞先人，跖而生，不如夷而死！」妻忿曰：「子欲活而惡辱耶？世不田而食者，止兩途：汝既不能盜，我無寧娼耳！」申怒，與妻語相侵。妻含憤而眠。申念：為男子不能謀兩餐，至使妻欲娼，固不如死！潛起，投繯庭樹間。但見父來，驚曰：「癡兒，何至於此！」斷其繩，囑曰：「盜可以為，須擇禾黍深處伏之。此行可富，無庸再矣。」妻聞墮地聲，驚寤；呼夫不應；爇火覓之，見樹上繯絕，申死其下。大駭。撫捺之，移時而甦，扶臥床上。妻忿氣少平。既明，託夫病，乞鄰得稀酏餌申。申啜已，出而去。至午，負一囊米至。妻問所從來。曰：「余父執皆世家，向以搖尾為羞，故不屑以相求也。古人云：『不遭者可無不為。』今且將作盜，何顧焉！可速炊，我將從卿言，往行劫。」妻疑其未忘前言之忿，含忍之。因淅米作糜。申飽食訖，急尋堅木，斧作梃，持之欲出。妻察其意似真，曳而止之。申曰：「子教我為，事敗相累，當無悔！」絕裾而去。日暮，抵鄰村，違村里許伏焉。忽暴雨，上下淋溼。遙望濃樹，將以投止。而電光一照，已近村垣。遠處似有行人，恐為所窺，見垣下禾黍蒙密，疾趨而入，蹲避其中。無何，一男子來，軀甚壯偉，亦投禾中。申懼，不敢少動。幸男子斜行去。微窺之，入於垣中。默意垣內為富室亢氏第，此必梁上君子，俟其重獲而出，當合有分。又念：其人雄健，倘善取不予，必至用武。自度力不敵，不如乘其無備而顛之。計已定，伏伺良耑。直將雞鳴，始越垣出。足未至地，申暴起，梃中腰膂，踣然傾跌，則一巨龜，喙張如盆。大驚，又連擊之，遂斃。先是，亢翁有女，絕惠美，父母皆憐愛之。一夜，有丈夫入室，狎逼為懽。欲號，則舌已入口，昏不知人，聽其所為而去。羞以告人，惟多集婢媼，嚴扃門戶而已。夜既寢，更不知扉何自而開；入室，則群眾皆迷，婢媼遍淫之。於是相告各駭，以告翁；翁戒家人操兵環繡闥，室中人燭而坐。約近夜半，內外人一時都瞑，忽若夢醒，見女白身臥，狀類癡，良久始寤。翁甚恨之，而無如何。積數月，女柴瘠頗殆。每語人：「有能驅遣者，謝金三百。」申平時亦悉聞之。是夜得龜，因悟祟翁女者，必是物也。遂叩門求賞。翁喜，延之上座，使人舁龜於庭，臠割之。留申過夜，其怪果絕。乃如數贈之，負金而歸。妻以其隔宿不還，方切憂盼；見申入，急問之。申不言，以金置榻上。妻開視，幾駭絕，曰：「子真為盜耶！」申曰：「汝逼我為此，又作是言！」妻泣曰：「前特以相戲耳。今犯斷頭之罪，我不能受賊人累也！請先死！」乃奔。申逐出，笑曳而返之，具以實告，妻乃喜。自此謀生產，稱素封焉。
泾河之侧，有士人子申氏者，家窭贫，竟日恒不举火。夫妻相对，无以为计。妻曰：「无已，子其盗乎！」申曰：「士人子，不能亢宗，而辱门户、羞先人，跖而生，不如夷而死！」妻忿曰：「子欲活而恶辱耶？世不田而食者，止两途：汝既不能盗，我无宁娼耳！」申怒，与妻语相侵。妻含愤而眠。申念：为男子不能谋两餐，至使妻欲娼，固不如死！潜起，投缳庭树间。但见父来，惊曰：「痴儿，何至于此！」断其绳，嘱曰：「盗可以为，须择禾黍深处伏之。此行可富，无庸再矣。」妻闻堕地声，惊寤；呼夫不应；爇火觅之，见树上缳绝，申死其下。大骇。抚捺之，移时而甦，扶卧床上。妻忿气少平。既明，托夫病，乞邻得稀酏饵申。申啜已，出而去。至午，负一囊米至。妻问所从来。曰：「余父执皆世家，向以摇尾为羞，故不屑以相求也。古人云：『不遭者可无不为。』今且将作盗，何顾焉！可速炊，我将从卿言，往行劫。」妻疑其未忘前言之忿，含忍之。因淅米作糜。申饱食讫，急寻坚木，斧作梃，持之欲出。妻察其意似真，曳而止之。申曰：「子教我为，事败相累，当无悔！」绝裾而去。日暮，抵邻村，违村里许伏焉。忽暴雨，上下淋湿。遥望浓树，将以投止。而电光一照，已近村垣。远处似有行人，恐为所窥，见垣下禾黍蒙密，疾趋而入，蹲避其中。无何，一男子来，躯甚壮伟，亦投禾中。申惧，不敢少动。幸男子斜行去。微窥之，入于垣中。默意垣内为富室亢氏第，此必梁上君子，俟其重获而出，当合有分。又念：其人雄健，倘善取不予，必至用武。自度力不敌，不如乘其无备而颠之。计已定，伏伺良耑。直将鸡鸣，始越垣出。足未至地，申暴起，梃中腰膂，踣然倾跌，则一巨龟，喙张如盆。大惊，又连击之，遂毙。先是，亢翁有女，绝惠美，父母皆怜爱之。一夜，有丈夫入室，狎逼为懽。欲号，则舌已入口，昏不知人，听其所为而去。羞以告人，惟多集婢媪，严扃门户而已。夜既寝，更不知扉何自而开；入室，则群众皆迷，婢媪遍淫之。于是相告各骇，以告翁；翁戒家人操兵环绣闼，室中人烛而坐。约近夜半，内外人一时都瞑，忽若梦醒，见女白身卧，状类痴，良久始寤。翁甚恨之，而无如何。积数月，女柴瘠颇殆。每语人：「有能驱遣者，谢金三百。」申平时亦悉闻之。是夜得龟，因悟祟翁女者，必是物也。遂叩门求赏。翁喜，延之上座，使人舁龟于庭，脔割之。留申过夜，其怪果绝。乃如数赠之，负金而归。妻以其隔宿不还，方切忧盼；见申入，急问之。申不言，以金置榻上。妻开视，几骇绝，曰：「子真为盗耶！」申曰：「汝逼我为此，又作是言！」妻泣曰：「前特以相戏耳。今犯断头之罪，我不能受贼人累也！请先死！」乃奔。申逐出，笑曳而返之，具以实告，妻乃喜。自此谋生产，称素封焉。
By the Jing River lived a man named Shen, from a scholar’s family. He was so poor that often a whole day went by without a fire lit in the stove. He and his wife sat facing each other with no way out. “There’s nothing else for it,” said his wife. “You’ll have to steal!” “I am a scholar’s son,” said Shen. “If I can’t raise our family up, I won’t disgrace our house and shame my ancestors. Better to die like Bo Yi than live like Robber Zhi!” “So you want to live, but you won’t stoop?” she said angrily. “There are only two ways to eat in this world without farming. If you can’t steal, I’d sooner be a whore!” Shen was furious, and they traded insults. His wife went to bed nursing her anger. Shen thought: a man who can’t find two meals a day, who drives his wife to talk of whoring, is surely better off dead. He got up quietly and hanged himself from a tree in the courtyard. Then he saw his father coming. “Foolish boy, what has brought you to this?” his father cried, and broke the rope. “You may steal,” he told him, “but you must lie in wait where the millet grows thickest. This one venture will make you rich. You need never do it again.” His wife woke with a start at the sound of something falling. She called her husband, and he did not answer. She lit a lamp and went looking: in the tree hung a broken noose, and Shen lay dead beneath it. She was terrified. She rubbed and pressed him, and after a while he came round. She helped him into bed. Her anger had cooled a little. At daybreak she told the neighbours her husband was ill, and begged some thin gruel to feed him. Shen drank it, then went out. At noon he came back carrying a sack of rice. His wife asked where it came from. “My father’s friends are all from old families,” he said. “I always thought it shameful to go wagging my tail at them, so I never stooped to ask. But the ancients say, ‘A man down on his luck may do anything.’ Now that I am about to turn robber, why should I care? Cook it quickly. I am going to take your advice and go out robbing.” His wife suspected he was still smarting over what she had said, and held her tongue. She washed the rice and made porridge. When Shen had eaten his fill, he hunted up a piece of hard wood, chopped it into a cudgel and made to go out with it. Seeing that he seemed to mean it, his wife caught hold of him to stop him. “You told me to do it,” said Shen. “If it goes wrong and you’re dragged in with me, don’t be sorry!” He tore his robe from her grip and left.