鳳陽一士人，負笈遠游。謂其妻曰：「半年當歸。」十餘月，竟無耗問。妻翹盼綦切。一夜，才就枕，紗月搖影，離思縈懷。方反側間，有一麗人，珠鬟絳帔，搴帷而入，笑問：「姊姊，得無欲見郎君乎？」妻急起應之。麗人邀與共往。妻憚修阻，麗人但請勿慮。即挽女手出，並踏月色，約行一矢之遠。覺麗人行迅速，女步履艱澀，呼麗人少待，將歸著復履。麗人牽坐路側，自乃捉足，脫履相假。女喜著之，幸不鑿枘。復起從行，健步如飛。移時，見士人跨白騾來。見妻大驚，急下騎，問：「何往？」女曰：「將以探君。」又顧問麗者伊誰。女未及答，麗人掩口笑曰：「且勿問訊。娘子奔波匪易；郎君星馳夜半，人畜想當俱殆。妾家不遠，且請息駕，早旦而行，不晚。」顧數武之外，即有村落，遂同行。入一庭院，麗人促睡婢起供客，曰：「今夜月色皎然，不必命燭，小臺石榻可坐。」士人縶蹇檐梧，乃即坐。麗人曰：「履大不適于體，途中頗纍贅否？歸有代步，乞賜還也。」女稱謝付之。
凤阳一士人，负笈远游。谓其妻曰：「半年当归。」十余月，竟无耗问。妻翘盼綦切。一夜，才就枕，纱月摇影，离思萦怀。方反侧间，有一丽人，珠鬟绛帔，搴帷而入，笑问：「姊姊，得无欲见郎君乎？」妻急起应之。丽人邀与共往。妻惮修阻，丽人但请勿虑。即挽女手出，并踏月色，约行一矢之远。觉丽人行迅速，女步履艰涩，呼丽人少待，将归着复履。丽人牵坐路侧，自乃捉足，脱履相假。女喜着之，幸不凿枘。复起从行，健步如飞。移时，见士人跨白骡来。见妻大惊，急下骑，问：「何往？」女曰：「将以探君。」又顾问丽者伊谁。女未及答，丽人掩口笑曰：「且勿问讯。娘子奔波匪易；郎君星驰夜半，人畜想当俱殆。妾家不远，且请息驾，早旦而行，不晚。」顾数武之外，即有村落，遂同行。入一庭院，丽人促睡婢起供客，曰：「今夜月色皎然，不必命烛，小台石榻可坐。」士人絷蹇檐梧，乃即坐。丽人曰：「履大不适于体，途中颇累赘否？归有代步，乞赐还也。」女称谢付之。
A scholar of Fengyang shouldered his book-box and went far from home to study. He told his wife, “I will be back in half a year.” Ten months and more went by without a word from him. His wife watched for him with aching longing. One night she had just lain down. The moon through the gauze curtain set shadows swaying, and thoughts of him filled her heart. As she tossed and turned, a beautiful woman with pearls in her hair and a crimson cape lifted the bed curtain and came in. “Sister,” she said with a smile, “wouldn’t you like to see your husband?” The wife rose quickly to answer her, and the beauty invited her to come along. The wife was daunted by the long, hard road, but the beauty only told her not to worry. She took the wife by the hand and led her out, and they walked side by side in the moonlight for about a bowshot. The beauty walked fast, and the wife found the going hard. She called to the beauty to wait a little while she went home to put on her walking shoes. The beauty sat her down by the roadside, took hold of her own feet, pulled off her shoes and lent them to her. The wife was glad to put them on, and luckily they fit. She got up and followed again, striding along as if she flew. After a while they saw the scholar coming on a white mule. He was astonished to see his wife, quickly dismounted and asked, “Where are you going?” “I was coming to see you,” she said. He glanced at the beauty and asked who she was. Before the wife could answer, the beauty covered her mouth and laughed. “Don’t stop to ask questions now. Your lady has had a hard journey, and you, sir, have been riding hard in the middle of the night; man and beast must both be worn out. My house is not far. Please break your journey there and set off early in the morning. It won’t be too late.” A few steps away there was a village, so they went on together. They entered a courtyard, and the beauty roused a sleeping maid to wait on the guests. “The moon is so bright tonight,” she said, “we need no candles. We can sit on the stone couch on the little terrace.” The scholar tethered his mule to the wutong tree by the eaves and sat down. The beauty said, “The shoes were too big for you. Weren’t they a nuisance on the road? You will have something to ride on the way home; please give them back.” The wife thanked her and handed them over.
俄頃，設酒果，麗人酌曰：「鸞鳳久乖，圓在今夕；濁醪一觴，敬以為賀。」士人亦執盞酬報。主客笑言，履舄交錯。士人注視麗者，屢以游詞相挑。夫妻乍聚，並不寒暄一語。麗人亦美目流情，妖言隱謎。女惟默坐，偽為愚者。久之漸醺，二人語益狎。又以巨觥勸客，士人以醉辭，勸之益苦。士人笑曰：「卿為我度一曲，即當飲。」麗人不拒，即以牙撥撫提琴而歌曰：「黃昏卸得殘妝罷，窗外西風冷透紗。聽蕉聲，一陣一陣細雨下。何處與人閑磕牙？望穿秋水，不見還家，潸潸淚似麻。又是想他，又是恨他，手拿著紅繡鞋兒佔鬼卦。」歌竟，笑曰：「此市井裡巷之謠，不足污君聽。然因流俗所尚，姑效顰耳。」音聲靡靡，風度狎褻。士人搖惑，若不自禁。
俄顷，设酒果，丽人酌曰：「鸾凤久乖，圆在今夕；浊醪一觞，敬以为贺。」士人亦执盏酬报。主客笑言，履舄交错。士人注视丽者，屡以游词相挑。夫妻乍聚，并不寒暄一语。丽人亦美目流情，妖言隐谜。女惟默坐，伪为愚者。久之渐醺，二人语益狎。又以巨觥劝客，士人以醉辞，劝之益苦。士人笑曰：「卿为我度一曲，即当饮。」丽人不拒，即以牙拨抚提琴而歌曰：「黄昏卸得残妆罢，窗外西风冷透纱。听蕉声，一阵一阵细雨下。何处与人闲磕牙？望穿秋水，不见还家，潸潸泪似麻。又是想他，又是恨他，手拿着红绣鞋儿占鬼卦。」歌竟，笑曰：「此市井里巷之谣，不足污君听。然因流俗所尚，姑效颦耳。」音声靡靡，风度狎亵。士人摇惑，若不自禁。
In a moment wine and fruit were set out. The beauty poured and said, “The phoenix and his mate have long been parted, and tonight they are together again. Let me offer a cup of my poor wine in congratulation.” The scholar raised his cup to her in return. Hostess and guests laughed and talked, and their shoes lay in a jumble. The scholar kept his eyes on the beauty and flirted with her again and again in loose talk. Husband and wife, just reunited, did not exchange a single word of greeting. The beauty’s lovely eyes, too, spoke of love, and her talk was full of coy hints and riddles. The wife only sat in silence, pretending to be dull. After a long while they grew tipsy, and the two of them talked more and more freely. The beauty urged a great goblet on her guest; the scholar refused, saying he was drunk, and she pressed him all the harder. “Sing me a song,” he said with a laugh, “and I’ll drink.” She did not refuse. She took an ivory plectrum to her fiddle and sang: “At dusk I take off what’s left of my paint; outside the window the west wind blows cold through the gauze. Hear the plantain leaves: gust on gust, the fine rain falls. Where is he off idly chattering with somebody? I watch till my eyes wear through, and he does not come home; my tears stream down as thick as hemp. Now I miss him, now I hate him, and I take my red embroidered shoe to cast a ghost’s lot.” When the song was done she laughed. “That is only a ditty of the streets and back lanes, not fit to soil your ears. But since it is what people like these days, I am only aping it.” Her voice was languid and her manner wanton. The scholar was shaken and bewitched, as if he could not help himself.
少間，麗人偽醉離席；士人亦起，從之而去。久之不至。婢子乏疲，伏睡廊下。女獨坐，塊然無侶，中心憤恚，頗難自堪。思欲遁歸，而夜色微茫，不憶道路。輾轉無以自主，因起而覘之。裁近其窗，則斷雲零雨之聲，隱約可聞。又聽之，聞良人與己素常猥褻之狀，盡情傾吐。女至此，手顫心搖，殆不可遏，念不如出門竄溝壑以死。憤然方行，忽見弟三郎乘馬而至，遽便下問。女具以告。三郎大怒，立與姊回，直入其家，則室門扃閉，枕上之語猶喁喁也。三郎舉巨石如斗，拋擊窗櫺，三五碎斷。內大呼曰：「郎君腦破矣！奈何！」女聞之，愕然，大哭，謂弟曰：「我不謀與汝殺郎君，今且若何？」三郎撐目曰：「汝嗚嗚促我來，甫能消此胸中惡，又護男兒﹑怨弟兄，我不貫與婢子供指使！」返身欲去，女牽衣曰：「汝不攜我去，將何之？」三郎揮姊扑地，脫體而去。女頓驚寤，始知其夢。
少间，丽人伪醉离席；士人亦起，从之而去。久之不至。婢子乏疲，伏睡廊下。女独坐，块然无侣，中心愤恚，颇难自堪。思欲遁归，而夜色微茫，不忆道路。辗转无以自主，因起而觇之。裁近其窗，则断云零雨之声，隐约可闻。又听之，闻良人与己素常猥亵之状，尽情倾吐。女至此，手颤心摇，殆不可遏，念不如出门窜沟壑以死。愤然方行，忽见弟三郎乘马而至，遽便下问。女具以告。三郎大怒，立与姊回，直入其家，则室门扃闭，枕上之语犹喁喁也。三郎举巨石如斗，抛击窗櫺，三五碎断。内大呼曰：「郎君脑破矣！奈何！」女闻之，愕然，大哭，谓弟曰：「我不谋与汝杀郎君，今且若何？」三郎撑目曰：「汝呜呜促我来，甫能消此胸中恶，又护男儿﹑怨弟兄，我不贯与婢子供指使！」返身欲去，女牵衣曰：「汝不携我去，将何之？」三郎挥姊扑地，脱体而去。女顿惊寤，始知其梦。
Before long the beauty pretended to be drunk and left the table; the scholar got up too and went after her. A long time passed and they did not come back. The maid, worn out, fell asleep on the veranda. The wife sat on alone, utterly forlorn, her heart full of anger and resentment, hardly able to bear it. She thought of slipping away home, but the night was dim and she could not remember the way. Unable to make up her mind, she got up to go and look. As soon as she came near their window she could faintly hear the sounds of clouds and rain. She listened further and heard her husband pouring out, holding nothing back, all the intimate things he and his wife were used to doing together. At this her hands shook and her heart reeled until she could hardly contain herself; she thought it better to go out and throw herself into a ditch and die. She was striding off in her rage when suddenly she saw her younger brother Sanlang riding up. He got down at once and asked what was wrong, and she told him everything. Sanlang was furious. He went straight back with his sister and into the house. The door of the room was bolted, and the pillow talk was still murmuring on. Sanlang lifted a rock as big as a peck measure and hurled it at the window lattice, smashing several bars. Inside, a voice cried out, “His head is broken! What shall we do?” When the wife heard it she was aghast and burst into sobs. “I never plotted with you to kill my husband,” she said to her brother. “What now?” Sanlang glared at her. “You came whimpering and got me here, and just when I’ve got the bile out of my chest, you take your man’s side and blame your brother. I’m not used to being ordered about by a woman!” He turned to go. She caught his clothes. “If you don’t take me with you, where can I go?” Sanlang knocked his sister to the ground with a sweep of his arm, wrenched himself free and left. The wife woke with a start, and only then knew it was a dream.
越日，士人果歸，乘白騾。女異之而未言。士人是夜亦夢，所見所遭，述之悉符，互相駭怪。既而三郎聞姊夫遠歸，亦來省問。語次，謂士人曰：「昨宵夢君歸，今果然，亦大異。」士人笑曰：「幸不為巨石所斃。」三郎愕然問故，士以夢告。三郎大異之。蓋是夜，三郎亦夢遇姊泣訴，憤激投石也。三夢相符，但不知麗人何許耳。
越日，士人果归，乘白骡。女异之而未言。士人是夜亦梦，所见所遭，述之悉符，互相骇怪。既而三郎闻姊夫远归，亦来省问。语次，谓士人曰：「昨宵梦君归，今果然，亦大异。」士人笑曰：「幸不为巨石所毙。」三郎愕然问故，士以梦告。三郎大异之。盖是夜，三郎亦梦遇姊泣诉，愤激投石也。三梦相符，但不知丽人何许耳。
The next day the scholar did come home, riding a white mule. The wife thought it strange but said nothing. That same night the scholar had dreamed too, and what he saw and what befell him, as he told it, matched hers in every point. They stared at each other in amazement. Then Sanlang, hearing that his brother-in-law was back from his long journey, came to call. As they talked, he said to the scholar, “Last night I dreamed you came home, and now here you are. Very strange.” The scholar laughed. “Lucky I wasn’t killed by that big rock.” Sanlang, startled, asked what he meant, and the scholar told him his dream. Sanlang was amazed. For that same night Sanlang too had dreamed that he met his sister, heard her tearful story, and in his fury threw the rock. Three dreams matched; but who the beauty was, no one knew.