且說蔣爺吩咐地方保甲好好看守，二人連聲答應，說了許多的小心話。蔣爺立起身來，攜著艾虎的手，一步步就上西耳房而來。爺兒倆個坐下。蔣爺方問道：「賢姪，你如何來到這裡？你師傅往那裡去了？」艾虎道：「說起來話長。只因我同著我義父在杭州倪太守那裡住了許久，後來義父屢次要走，倪太守斷不肯放。好容易等他完了婚之後，方才離了杭州，到茉花村給丁家二位叔父並我師傅道乏道謝，就在那裡住下了。不想丁家叔父那裡早已派人上襄陽打聽事情去了。不多幾日回來，說道：襄陽王已知朝廷有些知覺，惟恐派兵征剿，他那裡預為防備。左有黑狼山安排下金面神藍驍把守旱路，右有軍山安排下飛叉太保鐘雄把守水路。這水旱兩路皆是咽喉緊要之地。倘若朝廷有什麼動靜，即刻傳檄飛報。因此我師傅與我義父聽見此信，甚是驚駭。什麼緣故呢？因有個至好的朋友姓沙名龍，綽號鐵面金剛，在臥虎溝居住。這臥虎溝離黑狼山不遠，一來恐沙伯父被賊人侵害，二來又怕沙伯父被賊人誆去入伙。大家商量。我師父與義父還有丁二叔，他們三位俱各上臥虎溝去了。就把我交與丁大叔了。姪兒一想，這樣的熱鬧不叫姪兒開開眼，反倒關在家裡，我如何受得來呢！一連闖了好幾日。偏偏的丁大叔時刻不離左右，急的姪兒沒有法兒。無奈何，悄悄的偷了丁大叔五兩銀子，做了盤費，我要上臥虎溝看個熱鬧去。不想今日住在此店，又遇見了對頭。」
且说蒋爷吩咐地方保甲好好看守，二人连声答应，说了许多的小心话。蒋爷立起身来，携着艾虎的手，一步步就上西耳房而来。爷儿俩个坐下。蒋爷方问道：「贤姪，你如何来到这里？你师傅往那里去了？」艾虎道：「说起来话长。只因我同着我义父在杭州倪太守那里住了许久，后来义父屡次要走，倪太守断不肯放。好容易等他完了婚之后，方才离了杭州，到茉花村给丁家二位叔父并我师傅道乏道谢，就在那里住下了。不想丁家叔父那里早已派人上襄阳打听事情去了。不多几日回来，说道：襄阳王已知朝廷有些知觉，惟恐派兵征剿，他那里预为防备。左有黑狼山安排下金面神蓝骁把守旱路，右有军山安排下飞叉太保钟雄把守水路。这水旱两路皆是咽喉紧要之地。倘若朝廷有什么动静，即刻传檄飞报。因此我师傅与我义父听见此信，甚是惊骇。什么缘故呢？因有个至好的朋友姓沙名龙，绰号铁面金刚，在卧虎沟居住。这卧虎沟离黑狼山不远，一来恐沙伯父被贼人侵害，二来又怕沙伯父被贼人诓去入伙。大家商量。我师父与义父还有丁二叔，他们三位俱各上卧虎沟去了。就把我交与丁大叔了。姪儿一想，这样的热闹不叫姪儿开开眼，反倒关在家里，我如何受得来呢！一连闯了好几日。偏偏的丁大叔时刻不离左右，急的姪儿没有法儿。无奈何，悄悄的偷了丁大叔五两银子，做了盘费，我要上卧虎沟看个热闹去。不想今日住在此店，又遇见了对头。」
Now, Jiang Ping told the ward constable and the baojia headman to keep a good watch on the prisoners, and the two of them said yes again and again, with a great many assurances that they would be careful. Jiang Ping rose, took Ai Hu by the hand, and walked step by step over to the west side room. When uncle and nephew had sat down, Jiang Ping asked, “Nephew, how did you come to be here? And where has your master gone?” “It’s a long story,” said Ai Hu. “I was staying with my adoptive father at Governor Ni’s in Hangzhou for a long while. Later on my adoptive father kept wanting to leave, and Governor Ni absolutely wouldn’t let him go. At last we waited till the Governor had finished his wedding, and then we left Hangzhou and went to Mohua Village to thank my two Ding uncles and my master for all their trouble, and there we stayed. But it turned out my Ding uncles had long since sent men to Xiangyang to find out how things stood. In a few days they came back and said the Prince of Xiangyang knows the court has got wind of something, and for fear that troops will be sent to put him down, he’s making ready in advance. On his left he’s posted the Gold-Faced God, Lan Xiao, at Heilang Mountain to hold the road by land; on his right he’s posted the Flying-Fork Guardian, Zhong Xiong, at Jun Mountain to hold the way by water. Both of them, by land and by water, are places that have the country by the throat. If the court makes any move at all, the call goes out and word is sent flying at once. So when my master and my adoptive father heard this news, they were very much alarmed. Why? Because they have a very good friend, surnamed Sha and named Long, nicknamed the Iron-Faced Vajra (Tiemian Jingang), who lives at Wohugou. Wohugou isn’t far from Heilang Mountain, so for one thing they were afraid the bandits would do Uncle Sha harm, and for another they were afraid the bandits would trick him into joining them. Everyone talked it over, and my master and my adoptive father and Second Uncle Ding — the three of them all went off to Wohugou. And they left me in the charge of Eldest Uncle Ding. Well, I thought, there’s all this excitement going on, and instead of letting me have a look at it they shut me up at home — how could I stand that? I kicked up a fuss for days on end. But Eldest Uncle Ding never let me out of his sight for a moment, and I was at my wits’ end. There was nothing for it: I quietly stole five taels of silver from Eldest Uncle Ding for travelling money, meaning to go to Wohugou and see the excitement. And who’d have thought it — today I put up at this inn and ran into my enemy again.”
蔣爺聽了，暗暗點頭，道：「好小子！拿著廝殺對壘當熱鬧兒。真好膽量，好心胸！但只一件，歐陽兄、智賢弟既將他交給丁賢弟，想來是他去不得。若去得時，為什麼不把他帶了去呢？其中必有個緣故。如今我既遇見他，豈可使他單人獨往呢！」正在思索，只聽艾虎問道：「蔣叔父今日此來，是為拿要犯，還是有什麼別的事呢？」蔣爺道：「我豈為要犯而來，原是為奉相諭，派我找尋你義父。只因聖上想起，相爺惟恐一時要人沒個著落，如何回奏呢，因此派我前來。不想在此先得了姚成。」艾虎道：「蔣叔父如今意欲何往呢？」蔣爺道：「我原要上茉花村來著。如今既知你義父上了臥虎溝，明日只好將姚成送縣起解之後，我也上臥虎溝走走。」艾虎聽了歡喜道：「好叔叔！千萬把姪兒帶了去！若見了我師父與義父，就說叔父把姪兒帶了去的，也省得他二位老人家嗔怪。」蔣爺聽了，笑道：「你倒會推乾淨兒。難道久後你丁大叔也不告訴他們二人麼？」艾虎道：「趕到日子多了，誰還記得這些事呢？即使丁大叔告訴了，事已如此，我師父與義父也就沒有什麼怪的了。」
蒋爷听了，暗暗点头，道：「好小子！拿着厮杀对垒当热闹儿。真好胆量，好心胸！但只一件，欧阳兄、智贤弟既将他交给丁贤弟，想来是他去不得。若去得时，为什么不把他带了去呢？其中必有个缘故。如今我既遇见他，岂可使他单人独往呢！」正在思索，只听艾虎问道：「蒋叔父今日此来，是为拿要犯，还是有什么别的事呢？」蒋爷道：「我岂为要犯而来，原是为奉相谕，派我找寻你义父。只因圣上想起，相爷惟恐一时要人没个着落，如何回奏呢，因此派我前来。不想在此先得了姚成。」艾虎道：「蒋叔父如今意欲何往呢？」蒋爷道：「我原要上茉花村来着。如今既知你义父上了卧虎沟，明日只好将姚成送县起解之后，我也上卧虎沟走走。」艾虎听了欢喜道：「好叔叔！千万把姪儿带了去！若见了我师父与义父，就说叔父把姪儿带了去的，也省得他二位老人家嗔怪。」蒋爷听了，笑道：「你倒会推干净儿。难道久后你丁大叔也不告诉他们二人么？」艾虎道：「赶到日子多了，谁还记得这些事呢？即使丁大叔告诉了，事已如此，我师父与义父也就没有什么怪的了。」
Jiang Ping listened and nodded to himself. “What a lad!” he thought. “Taking slaughter and pitched battle for a bit of excitement! What nerve, what spirit! There’s just one thing, though. Since Brother Ouyang and Brother Zhi handed him over to Brother Ding, it must be that he wasn’t fit to go. If he had been, why wouldn’t they have taken him along? There must be some reason for it. Now that I’ve come across him, how can I let him go off on his own?” He was still turning this over when he heard Ai Hu ask, “Uncle Jiang, have you come here today to catch a wanted man, or is there something else?” “Would I come all this way for a wanted man?” said Jiang Ping. “I had the Minister’s orders to go and find your adoptive father. The Emperor has remembered him, and the Minister was afraid that if His Majesty suddenly asked for the man and nobody knew where he was, he’d have no answer to give. So he sent me out. I never expected to catch Yao Cheng here first.” “Where are you thinking of going now, Uncle Jiang?” asked Ai Hu. “I was meaning to come to Mohua Village,” said Jiang Ping. “Now that I know your adoptive father has gone to Wohugou, tomorrow, once I’ve handed Yao Cheng over to the county to be sent on, I’ll just have to take a trip to Wohugou myself.” Ai Hu was delighted to hear it. “Good uncle! You must take me along — you must! If we see my master and my adoptive father, just say you took me with you, and that’ll save the two old gentlemen from being cross with me.” Jiang Ping laughed. “So you know how to wash your hands of it! Do you think your Eldest Uncle Ding won’t tell the two of them sooner or later?” “By the time a good many days have gone by, who’ll remember any of that?” said Ai Hu. “And even if Eldest Uncle Ding does tell them, what’s done is done, and my master and my adoptive father won’t find anything to be cross about.”
蔣爺暗想道：「我看艾虎年幼貪酒，而且又是私逃出來的，莫若我帶了他去，一來盡了人情，二來又可找歐陽兄。只是他這酒，必須如此如此。」想罷，對艾虎道：「我帶雖把你帶去，你只是要依我一件事。」艾虎聽說帶了他去，好生歡喜，便問道：「四叔，你老只管說是什麼事，姪兒無有不應的。」蔣爺道：「就是你的酒。每頓只准你吃三角，多喝一角都是不能的。你可願意麼？」艾虎聽了，半晌方說道：「三角就是三角，吃葷強如吃素。到底有三角可以解解饞，也就是了。」叔姪兩個整整的談了半夜。
蒋爷暗想道：「我看艾虎年幼贪酒，而且又是私逃出来的，莫若我带了他去，一来尽了人情，二来又可找欧阳兄。只是他这酒，必须如此如此。」想罢，对艾虎道：「我带虽把你带去，你只是要依我一件事。」艾虎听说带了他去，好生欢喜，便问道：「四叔，你老只管说是什么事，姪儿无有不应的。」蒋爷道：「就是你的酒。每顿只准你吃三角，多喝一角都是不能的。你可愿意么？」艾虎听了，半晌方说道：「三角就是三角，吃荤强如吃素。到底有三角可以解解馋，也就是了。」叔姪两个整整的谈了半夜。
Jiang Ping thought to himself, “I can see Ai Hu is young and greedy for drink, and he’s run off on the sly besides. I’d better take him with me: for one thing it’s the decent thing to do, and for another I can look for Brother Ouyang at the same time. Only, this drinking of his — I’ll have to handle it thus and thus.” His mind made up, he said to Ai Hu, “I’ll take you along, all right, but you must do one thing I say.” Hearing that he was to be taken along, Ai Hu was overjoyed. “Fourth Uncle,” he asked, “just tell me what it is — there’s nothing your nephew won’t agree to.” “It’s your drinking,” said Jiang Ping. “At each meal you’re allowed three flasks of wine, and not one flask more. Are you willing?” Ai Hu said nothing for a long while. Then he said, “Three flasks it is, then. Meat beats a vegetable diet. At least three flasks will take the edge off my thirst, so that’ll have to do.” Uncle and nephew talked for a good half of the night.