話說智爺正向眾人討錢，有人向他說話，乃是個工頭，此人姓王行大。因前日他曾見過有逃難的小車，恰好作活的人不夠用，抓一個是一個，便對智爺道：「伙計，你姓什麼？」智爺道：「俺姓王行二，你老貴姓？」王大道：「好。我也姓王。有一句話對你說：如今紫禁城內挖御河，我瞧你這個樣兒怪可憐的，何不跟了我去作活呢？一天三頓飯，額外還有六十錢，有一天算一天。你願意不願意？」智爺心中暗喜，尚未答言。只見裴福過來道：「敢則好。什麼錢不錢的，只要叫俺的兒吃飽了就完了。」王大把裴福瞧了瞧，問智爺道：「這是誰？」智爺道：「俺爹。」王大道：「算了吧，算了吧！你不用說了。」對著裴福道：「告訴你，皇上家不使白頭工，這六十錢必是有的，你若願意，叫你兒子去。」智爺道：「爹呀，你老怎麼樣呢？」裴福道：「你只管幹你的去。身去口去，俺與小孫女哀求哀求，也就夠吃的了。」王大道：「你只管放心。大約你吃飽了，把那六十錢拿回來買點子餑餑餅子，也就夠他們爺兒倆吃的了。」智爺道：「就是這末著。咱就走。」王大便帶了他，奔紫禁城而來。
话说智爷正向众人讨钱，有人向他说话，乃是个工头，此人姓王行大。因前日他曾见过有逃难的小车，恰好作活的人不够用，抓一个是一个，便对智爷道：「伙计，你姓什么？」智爷道：「俺姓王行二，你老贵姓？」王大道：「好。我也姓王。有一句话对你说：如今紫禁城内挖御河，我瞧你这个样儿怪可怜的，何不跟了我去作活呢？一天三顿饭，额外还有六十钱，有一天算一天。你愿意不愿意？」智爷心中暗喜，尚未答言。只见裴福过来道：「敢则好。什么钱不钱的，只要叫俺的儿吃饱了就完了。」王大把裴福瞧了瞧，问智爷道：「这是谁？」智爷道：「俺爹。」王大道：「算了吧，算了吧！你不用说了。」对着裴福道：「告诉你，皇上家不使白头工，这六十钱必是有的，你若愿意，叫你儿子去。」智爷道：「爹呀，你老怎么样呢？」裴福道：「你只管干你的去。身去口去，俺与小孙女哀求哀求，也就够吃的了。」王大道：「你只管放心。大约你吃饱了，把那六十钱拿回来买点子饽饽饼子，也就够他们爷儿俩吃的了。」智爷道：「就是这末着。咱就走。」王大便带了他，奔紫禁城而来。
Now, Zhi Hua was going round asking the men for money when one of them spoke to him. This was a foreman, a man surnamed Wang, the eldest of his family. He had seen the refugees’ barrow the day before, and as it happened he was short of hands for the work and glad to grab anyone he could get. “Friend,” he said to Zhi Hua, “what’s your name?” “Name’s Wang,” said Zhi Hua, “second of the family. And what might yours be, sir?” “Well, now,” said Wang Da. “I’m a Wang too. Here’s what I want to say to you. They’re digging out the imperial canal inside the Forbidden City just now. You look a sorry enough sight to me — why not come along and work for me? Three meals a day and sixty cash on top, paid for every day you work. Will you or won’t you?” Zhi Hua was secretly delighted, but before he could answer, Pei Fu came over. “Why, that’d be fine! Never mind the money. So long as my boy gets his belly filled, that’s all I ask.” Wang Da looked Pei Fu over and asked Zhi Hua, “Who’s this?” “My dad,” said Zhi Hua. “Enough, enough!” said Wang Da. “You needn’t say another word.” Then, to Pei Fu: “Let me tell you, the Emperor’s works don’t take labour for nothing. He’ll get his sixty cash, no fear. If you’re willing, let your son come.” “Dad,” said Zhi Hua, “what’ll you do, though?” “You just go and do your work,” said Pei Fu. “You gone, that’s one mouth less. Me and the little granddaughter’ll beg a bit, and that’ll be enough to eat.” “Don’t you worry,” said Wang Da. “Once he’s eaten his fill, he can bring those sixty cash home and buy a few buns and flatbreads, and that’ll be plenty for the two of them.” “That’s how it’ll be, then,” said Zhi Hua. “Let’s be off.” So Wang Da took him along and set off for the Forbidden City.
一路上這些作工的人欺負他。這個叫：「王第二的！」智爺道：「怎樣？」這個說：「你替我扛著這六把鍁。」智爺道：「使得。」接過來扛在肩頭。那個叫：「王第二的！」智爺道：「怎麼？」那個說：「你替我扛著這五把鐝頭。」智爺道：「使得。」接過來也扛在肩頭。大家提呆子，你也叫扛，我也叫扛。不多時，智爺的兩肩頭猶如鐵鍁鐝頭山一般。王大猛然回頭一看，發話道：「你們這是怎麼說呢？我好容易找了個人來，你們就欺負。趕到明兒，你們擠跑了他，這圖什麼呢？也沒見王第二的你這麼傻！這堆的把腦袋都夾起來了。這是什麼樣兒呢？」智爺道：「扛扛罷咧！怕怎的！」說的眾人都笑了，才各自把各自的傢伙拿去。
一路上这些作工的人欺负他。这个叫：「王第二的！」智爷道：「怎样？」这个说：「你替我扛着这六把锨。」智爷道：「使得。」接过来扛在肩头。那个叫：「王第二的！」智爷道：「怎么？」那个说：「你替我扛着这五把镢头。」智爷道：「使得。」接过来也扛在肩头。大家提呆子，你也叫扛，我也叫扛。不多时，智爷的两肩头犹如铁锨镢头山一般。王大猛然回头一看，发话道：「你们这是怎么说呢？我好容易找了个人来，你们就欺负。赶到明儿，你们挤跑了他，这图什么呢？也没见王第二的你这么傻！这堆的把脑袋都夹起来了。这是什么样儿呢？」智爷道：「扛扛罢咧！怕怎的！」说的众人都笑了，才各自把各自的家伙拿去。
All along the way the other workmen made sport of him. One would call out, “Wang Number Two!” “What is it?” said Zhi Hua. “Carry these six shovels for me.” “Sure,” said Zhi Hua, and took them and shouldered them. Another would call, “Wang Number Two!” “What?” said Zhi Hua. “Carry these five picks for me.” “Sure,” said Zhi Hua, and took them and shouldered them too. They were all having fun with the simpleton: you had him carry something, so I’d have him carry something. Before long Zhi Hua’s two shoulders were heaped up like a mountain of iron shovels and picks. Wang Da happened to look back and spoke up sharply. “What do you lot think you’re doing? I go to all the trouble of finding a man, and you start bullying him. Drive him off by tomorrow, and what good will that do anybody? And I never saw anyone as daft as you, Wang Number Two! Piled up so high your head’s wedged in between. What a sight!” “It’s only carryin’!” said Zhi Hua. “What’s there to be afeared of?” That set everyone laughing, and at last each man took back his own tools.
一時來到紫禁門，王頭兒遞了腰牌，注了人數，按名點進。到了御河，大家按檔兒做活。智爺拿了一把鐵鍬，撮的比人多，擲的比人遠，而且又快。旁邊作活的道：「王第二的！」智爺道：「什麼？」旁邊人道：「你這活計不是這麼做。」智爺道：「怎麼？挖的淺咧？做的慢咧？」旁邊人道：「這還淺！你一鍬，我兩鍬也不能那樣深。你瞧，你挖了多大一片，我才挖了這一點兒。俗語說的，『皇上家的工，慢慢兒的蹭。』你要這末做，還能吃的長麼？」智爺道：「做的慢了，他們給飯吃嗎？」旁邊人道：「都是一樣慢了，他能不給誰吃呢？」智爺道：「既是這樣，俺就慢慢的。」旁邊人道：「是了。－－來吧，你先幫著我撮撮啵。」智爺道：「俺就替你撮撮。」哈下腰正替那人撮時，只見王頭兒叫道：「王第二的！」智爺道：「怎麼？」王大道：「上來吧，吃飯了。你難道沒聽見梆子響麼？」智爺道：「沒大理會。怎麼剛作活就吃飯咧？」王大道：「我告訴你，每逢梆子響是吃飯，若吃完了一篩鑼，就該做活了。天天如此，頓頓如此。」智爺道：「是了，俺知道了。」王大帶他到吃飯的所在，叫他拿碗盛飯。智爺果然盛了碗飯，大口小口的吃了個噴鼻兒香。
一时来到紫禁门，王头儿递了腰牌，注了人数，按名点进。到了御河，大家按档儿做活。智爷拿了一把铁锹，撮的比人多，掷的比人远，而且又快。旁边作活的道：「王第二的！」智爷道：「什么？」旁边人道：「你这活计不是这么做。」智爷道：「怎么？挖的浅咧？做的慢咧？」旁边人道：「这还浅！你一锹，我两锹也不能那样深。你瞧，你挖了多大一片，我才挖了这一点儿。俗语说的，『皇上家的工，慢慢儿的蹭。』你要这末做，还能吃的长么？」智爷道：「做的慢了，他们给饭吃吗？」旁边人道：「都是一样慢了，他能不给谁吃呢？」智爷道：「既是这样，俺就慢慢的。」旁边人道：「是了。－－来吧，你先帮着我撮撮啵。」智爷道：「俺就替你撮撮。」哈下腰正替那人撮时，只见王头儿叫道：「王第二的！」智爷道：「怎么？」王大道：「上来吧，吃饭了。你难道没听见梆子响么？」智爷道：「没大理会。怎么刚作活就吃饭咧？」王大道：「我告诉你，每逢梆子响是吃饭，若吃完了一筛锣，就该做活了。天天如此，顿顿如此。」智爷道：「是了，俺知道了。」王大带他到吃饭的所在，叫他拿碗盛饭。智爷果然盛了碗饭，大口小口的吃了个喷鼻儿香。
Presently they came to the gate of the Forbidden City. Foreman Wang handed in his waist pass, the number of men was entered, and they were checked in one by one by name. At the imperial canal everyone set to work on his own stretch. Zhi Hua took an iron spade; he dug up more than the others, threw it farther, and was quicker besides. The man working beside him said, “Wang Number Two!” “What?” said Zhi Hua. “That’s not how you do this job.” “How come? Diggin’ too shallow? Workin’ too slow?” “Shallow, he says! Two of my spadefuls couldn’t go as deep as one of yours. Look what a big patch you’ve dug, and I’ve only done this little bit. As the saying goes, ‘Work for the Crown? Just slow it down.’ Work like that, and how long do you think you’ll be eating here?” “If I go slow, will they still give me my grub?” “If everybody’s just as slow, who’s he going to refuse?” “In that case,” said Zhi Hua, “I’ll go slow.” “That’s it. Come on, then, give me a hand scooping first.” “I’ll scoop for you,” said Zhi Hua. He bent down and was just scooping for the man when Foreman Wang called out, “Wang Number Two!” “What?” “Come up, it’s time to eat. Didn’t you hear the clapper?” “Didn’t take much notice,” said Zhi Hua. “How come we eat when we’ve only just started workin’?” “Let me tell you,” said Wang Da. “Whenever the clapper sounds, it’s mealtime. Once you’ve eaten and the gong goes, it’s back to work. Every day the same, every meal the same.” “Right, I got it.” Wang Da took him to the place where they ate and told him to take a bowl and help himself. Sure enough, Zhi Hua filled a bowl and ate big mouthfuls and little ones, relishing every bite.