高苑民王十，負鹽於博興。夜為二人所獲。意為土商之邏卒也，舍鹽欲遁；足苦不前，遂被縛。哀之。二人曰：「我非鹽肆中人，乃鬼卒也。」十懼，乞一至家，別妻子。不許，曰：「此去亦未便即死，不過暫役耳。」十問：「何事？」曰：「冥中新閻王到任，見奈河淤平，十八獄坑廁俱滿，故捉三種人淘河：小偷、私鑄、私鹽；又一等人使滌廁：樂戶也。」十從去，入城郭，至一官署，見閻羅在上，方稽名籍。鬼稟曰：「捉一私販王十至。」閻羅視之，怒曰：「私鹽者，上漏國稅，下蠹民生者也。若世之暴官奸商所指為私鹽者，皆天下之良民。貧人揭錙銖之本，求升斗之息，何為私哉！」罰二鬼市鹽四斗，並十所負，代運至家。留十，授以蒺藜骨朵，令隨諸鬼督河工。鬼引十去，至奈河邊，見河內人夫，繈續如蟻。又視河水渾赤，臭不可聞。淘河者皆赤體持畚鍤，出沒其中。朽骨腐尸，盈筐負舁而出；深處則滅頂求之。惰者輒以骨朵攻背股。同監者以香綿丸如巨菽，使含口中，乃近岸。見高苑肆商，亦在其中，十獨苛遇之：入河楚背，上岸敲股。商懼，常沒身水中，十乃已。經三晝夜，河夫半死，河工亦竣。前二鬼仍送至家，豁然而蘇。先是，十負鹽未歸，天明，妻啟戶，則鹽兩囊置庭中，而十久不至。使人遍覓之，則死途中。舁之而歸，奄有微息，不解其故。及醒，始言之。肆商亦於前日死，至是始蘇。骨朵擊處，皆成巨疽，渾身腐潰，臭不可近。十故詣之。望見十，猶縮首衾中，如在奈河狀。一年，始愈，不復為商矣。
高苑有個百姓叫王十，揹著鹽去博興。夜裡，他被兩個人抓住，以為是當地鹽商的巡邏兵，便扔下鹽想逃走，兩腳卻怎麼也邁不動，終於被綁了起來。他向那兩人哀求。兩人說：「我們不是鹽店的人，是鬼卒。」王十害怕了，求他們讓自己回一趟家，向妻子兒女告別。兩人不答應，說：「這一去也不就馬上死去，不過是暫時服些勞役。」王十問：「做什麼事？」他們說：「陰間新來的閻王上任，發現奈河已經淤平，十八座地獄的坑和廁所都滿了，所以捉三種人來疏浚河道：小偷、私自鑄錢的人、販私鹽的人。還有一種人要去清洗廁所，就是樂戶。」王十跟著他們走，進了一座城，來到一處官署，看見閻羅坐在上面，正在查核名冊。鬼卒稟報：「捉到一個私販王十，帶來了。」閻羅看了看他，發怒說：「販私鹽的人，是上面使國家損失稅款，下面損害百姓生計的人。至於世上那些兇暴官員、奸詐商人所指認的私鹽販子，都是天下的良民。窮人湊起一點點本錢，求一點微薄的收益，怎麼就算販私鹽呢！」於是罰兩個鬼卒買四斗鹽，連同王十原來背的鹽，替他運到家裡。閻羅把王十留下，給他一根蒺藜骨朵，讓他跟著眾鬼監督疏浚河道的工程。鬼卒領王十來到奈河邊，只見河裡的勞工接連不斷，像螞蟻一樣。再看河水，渾濁發紅，臭氣讓人無法忍受。疏浚河道的人都光著身子，拿著畚箕和鐵鍬，在水裡時隱時現。他們把腐爛的骨頭和屍體裝滿筐，揹著或抬著運出來；水深的地方，就沒入水中，連頭頂也淹沒了，摸索著尋找。誰偷懶，就用骨朵打他的背和大腿。一起監工的人給王十一顆大豆般大小的香綿丸，讓他含在嘴裡，他這才走近河岸。他看見高苑鹽店的商人也在裡面，唯獨對他格外嚴厲：下河就打他的背，上岸就敲他的大腿。鹽商害怕，常把全身藏在水裡，王十這才停手。過了三天三夜，河裡的勞工都累得半死，工程也完了。先前那兩個鬼卒又送王十回家，他一下子甦醒過來。此前，王十背鹽出去，一直沒有回來。天亮後，他妻子開門，發現院子裡放著兩袋鹽，王十卻遲遲不見回來。她派人四處尋找，發現王十死在路上，便把他抬回家。他還留著微弱的氣息，大家都不明白是怎麼回事。等他醒來，才說出了經過。那鹽商也在前一天死了，到這時才甦醒。凡是被骨朵打過的地方，都長出了大毒瘡，全身腐爛潰破，臭得讓人無法靠近。王十特意去看他。鹽商遠遠看見王十，仍把頭縮進被子裡，就像在奈河中一樣。過了一年，他才痊癒，再也不做鹽商了。
高苑民王十，负盐于博兴。夜为二人所获。意为土商之逻卒也，舍盐欲遁；足苦不前，遂被缚。哀之。二人曰：「我非盐肆中人，乃鬼卒也。」十惧，乞一至家，别妻子。不许，曰：「此去亦未便即死，不过暂役耳。」十问：「何事？」曰：「冥中新阎王到任，见奈河淤平，十八狱坑厕俱满，故捉三种人淘河：小偷、私铸、私盐；又一等人使涤厕：乐户也。」十从去，入城郭，至一官署，见阎罗在上，方稽名籍。鬼禀曰：「捉一私贩王十至。」阎罗视之，怒曰：「私盐者，上漏国税，下蠹民生者也。若世之暴官奸商所指为私盐者，皆天下之良民。贫人揭锱铢之本，求升斗之息，何为私哉！」罚二鬼市盐四斗，并十所负，代运至家。留十，授以蒺藜骨朵，令随诸鬼督河工。鬼引十去，至奈河边，见河内人夫，繈续如蚁。又视河水浑赤，臭不可闻。淘河者皆赤体持畚锸，出没其中。朽骨腐尸，盈筐负舁而出；深处则灭顶求之。惰者辄以骨朵攻背股。同监者以香绵丸如巨菽，使含口中，乃近岸。见高苑肆商，亦在其中，十独苛遇之：入河楚背，上岸敲股。商惧，常没身水中，十乃已。经三昼夜，河夫半死，河工亦竣。前二鬼仍送至家，豁然而苏。先是，十负盐未归，天明，妻启户，则盐两囊置庭中，而十久不至。使人遍觅之，则死途中。舁之而归，奄有微息，不解其故。及醒，始言之。肆商亦于前日死，至是始苏。骨朵击处，皆成巨疽，浑身腐溃，臭不可近。十故诣之。望见十，犹缩首衾中，如在奈河状。一年，始愈，不复为商矣。
高苑有个百姓叫王十，背着盐去博兴。夜里，他被两个人抓住，以为是当地盐商的巡逻兵，便扔下盐想逃走，两脚却怎么也迈不动，终于被绑了起来。他向那两人哀求。两人说：“我们不是盐店的人，是鬼卒。”王十害怕了，求他们让自己回一趟家，向妻子儿女告别。两人不答应，说：“这一去也不就马上死去，不过是暂时服些劳役。”王十问：“做什么事？”他们说：“阴间新来的阎王上任，发现奈河已经淤平，十八座地狱的坑和厕所都满了，所以捉三种人来疏浚河道：小偷、私自铸钱的人、贩私盐的人。还有一种人要去清洗厕所，就是乐户。”王十跟着他们走，进了一座城，来到一处官署，看见阎罗坐在上面，正在查核名册。鬼卒禀报：“捉到一个私贩王十，带来了。”阎罗看了看他，发怒说：“贩私盐的人，是上面使国家损失税款，下面损害百姓生计的人。至于世上那些凶暴官员、奸诈商人所指认的私盐贩子，都是天下的良民。穷人凑起一点点本钱，求一点微薄的收益，怎么就算贩私盐呢！”于是罚两个鬼卒买四斗盐，连同王十原来背的盐，替他运到家里。阎罗把王十留下，给他一根蒺藜骨朵，让他跟着众鬼监督疏浚河道的工程。鬼卒领王十来到奈河边，只见河里的劳工接连不断，像蚂蚁一样。再看河水，浑浊发红，臭气让人无法忍受。疏浚河道的人都光着身子，拿着畚箕和铁锹，在水里时隐时现。他们把腐烂的骨头和尸体装满筐，背着或抬着运出来；水深的地方，就没入水中，连头顶也淹没了，摸索着寻找。谁偷懒，就用骨朵打他的背和大腿。一起监工的人给王十一颗大豆般大小的香绵丸，让他含在嘴里，他这才走近河岸。他看见高苑盐店的商人也在里面，唯独对他格外严厉：下河就打他的背，上岸就敲他的大腿。盐商害怕，常把全身藏在水里，王十这才停手。过了三天三夜，河里的劳工都累得半死，工程也完了。先前那两个鬼卒又送王十回家，他一下子苏醒过来。此前，王十背盐出去，一直没有回来。天亮后，他妻子开门，发现院子里放着两袋盐，王十却迟迟不见回来。她派人四处寻找，发现王十死在路上，便把他抬回家。他还留着微弱的气息，大家都不明白是怎么回事。等他醒来，才说出了经过。那盐商也在前一天死了，到这时才苏醒。凡是被骨朵打过的地方，都长出了大毒疮，全身腐烂溃破，臭得让人无法靠近。王十特意去看他。盐商远远看见王十，仍把头缩进被子里，就像在奈河中一样。过了一年，他才痊愈，再也不做盐商了。
Wang Shi, a commoner of Gaoyuan, was carrying a load of salt on his back to Boxing. At night he was seized by two men. Taking them for patrolmen of the local salt merchants, he dropped the salt and tried to run, but his feet were sore and would not carry him, and he was tied up. He begged them for mercy. “We are not from the salt shop,” the two men said. “We are ghost runners.” Wang was frightened. He begged to go home once to say goodbye to his wife and children. They would not allow it. “Going with us does not mean you will die right away,” they said. “It is only a spell of labour.” “What labour?” Wang asked. “A new King of the Underworld has taken office. He found the River Nai silted up level, and the pits and latrines of the eighteen hells all full. So he is rounding up three kinds of people to dredge the river: thieves, counterfeiters, and dealers in private salt. And one more kind to scour the latrines: the entertainer households.” Wang went with them. They entered a walled city and came to a government office, where Yama sat on high, going through the registers of names. The ghosts reported: “We have caught a private dealer, Wang Shi, and brought him here.” Yama looked at him and said angrily, “A dealer in private salt is one who cheats the state of its taxes above and gnaws away at the people’s living below. But those whom the cruel officials and crooked merchants of the world call dealers in private salt are all the good people of the empire. A poor man scrapes together a few coins of capital in hope of a pint or a peck of profit. What is private about that?” He fined the two ghosts four pecks of salt, to be bought with their own money and carried, together with the salt Wang had been carrying, to his home for him. Wang he kept back. He gave him a spiked mace and ordered him to go with the ghosts and oversee the river work. The ghosts led Wang off to the bank of the River Nai. In the river the labourers were strung out like ants. The water was a muddy red, and the stench was past bearing. The dredgers were all naked, with baskets and spades, bobbing up and going under. Rotting bones and decaying corpses they hauled out by the basketful, carrying them on poles; where the water was deep they went under over their heads to grope for them. Anyone who slacked was struck at once across the back or thighs with a mace. The other overseers gave Wang a ball of scented cotton the size of a big bean to hold in his mouth; only then could he go near the bank. Among the dredgers he saw the salt-shop merchant of Gaoyuan, and him alone Wang treated harshly: in the water he beat his back, on the bank he cudgelled his thighs. The merchant was so afraid that he kept his whole body under the water, and only then did Wang leave him alone. After three days and nights, half the dredgers were dead, and the river work was done. The same two ghosts took Wang home again, and he suddenly came back to life. Earlier, when Wang had not come home with his salt, his wife opened the door at daybreak and found two sacks of salt set in the courtyard, but Wang did not come for a long time. She sent people to look for him everywhere, and they found him dead on the road. They carried him home. There was still the faintest breath in him, and no one could understand it. When he woke, he told them for the first time. The salt merchant, too, had died the day before, and only now came back to life. Wherever the mace had struck him, great boils had formed; his whole body was rotting and running, and the stench was such that no one could go near him. Wang went to see him on purpose. At the sight of Wang, the merchant still pulled his head under the quilt, just as he had in the River Nai. It was a year before he recovered, and he never dealt in salt again.