話說雷鳴、陳亮一問跑堂的，這個三太爺是何許人。跑堂的說：「二位大爺要問，這三太爺，是我們本地的惡霸。在本地結交官長，走動衙門，本地沒有敢惹。家裡打手有一百八十個。」陳亮說：「這個三太爺姓什麼？」夥計說：「姓楊，名慶，外號人稱金翅雕。」陳亮說：「他們必是親哥三個。還有大太爺、二太爺嗎？」夥計說：「不是親哥們，聽說是異姓兄弟。大爺叫鎮山豹田國本，二爺叫鷂子眼邱成。」雷鳴、陳亮聽明白，正喝著酒，只見由外面進來一個管家，歪戴著帽子，閃披著大氅，進來說：「掌柜的，菜齊了沒有？三太爺少時就來。」掌柜的說：「齊了，請三太爺來罷。」雷鳴、陳亮往外一看，就知道這個人是個惡奴的樣子。少時，外面又進來一個惡奴。說：「三太爺來了。」跑堂的趕緊按著告訴桌上：「眾酒座站起來，三太爺來了。」夥計一說，眾酒座全都站起來。夥計一告訴雷鳴、陳亮，也叫這二位英雄站起來，三太爺來了。陳亮說：「三太爺來，我們怎么站起來，三太爺替我給飯帳么？」夥計說：「不給。」陳亮說：「既不給，我們不能站起來。」夥計說：「我可是為你們好，你們二位要不站起來，可了不得。」雷鳴說：「我自生人以來，老沒找著了不得，今天我倒要瞧瞧了不得怎么樣。」
话说雷鸣、陈亮一问跑堂的，这个三太爷是何许人。跑堂的说：「二位大爷要问，这三太爷，是我们本地的恶霸。在本地结交官长，走动衙门，本地没有敢惹。家里打手有一百八十个。」陈亮说：「这个三太爷姓什么？」伙计说：「姓杨，名庆，外号人称金翅雕。」陈亮说：「他们必是亲哥三个。还有大太爷、二太爷吗？」伙计说：「不是亲哥们，听说是异姓兄弟。大爷叫镇山豹田国本，二爷叫鹞子眼邱成。」雷鸣、陈亮听明白，正喝着酒，只见由外面进来一个管家，歪戴着帽子，闪披着大氅，进来说：「掌柜的，菜齐了没有？三太爷少时就来。」掌柜的说：「齐了，请三太爷来罢。」雷鸣、陈亮往外一看，就知道这个人是个恶奴的样子。少时，外面又进来一个恶奴。说：「三太爷来了。」跑堂的赶紧按着告诉桌上：「众酒座站起来，三太爷来了。」伙计一说，众酒座全都站起来。伙计一告诉雷鸣、陈亮，也叫这二位英雄站起来，三太爷来了。陈亮说：「三太爷来，我们怎么站起来，三太爷替我给饭帐幺？」伙计说：「不给。」陈亮说：「既不给，我们不能站起来。」伙计说：「我可是为你们好，你们二位要不站起来，可了不得。」雷鸣说：「我自生人以来，老没找着了不得，今天我倒要瞧瞧了不得怎么样。」
Now, Lei Ming and Chen Liang asked the waiter who this Third Grand Master was. “Since you two gentlemen ask,” said the waiter, “this Third Grand Master is our local tyrant. He’s thick with the officials and in and out of the yamen, and nobody round here dares cross him. He keeps a hundred and eighty bruisers at his house.” “What’s this Third Grand Master’s surname?” said Chen Liang. “His surname is Yang and his name is Qing,” said the waiter, “and people call him the Golden-Winged Condor (Jinchi Diao).” “Then there must be three brothers of them,” said Chen Liang. “Is there a First Grand Master and a Second Grand Master too?” “They aren’t real brothers,” said the waiter. “I hear they’re sworn brothers with different surnames. The eldest is called Tian Guoben, the Mountain-Subduing Leopard, and the second is called Qiu Cheng, Sparrowhawk Eyes.” Lei Ming and Chen Liang took it all in. They were still drinking when a steward came in from outside, his hat askew and a cloak slung loose over his shoulders. “Shopkeeper,” he said, “are the dishes all ready? The Third Grand Master will be here shortly.” “All ready,” said the shopkeeper. “Please ask the Third Grand Master to come.” Lei Ming and Chen Liang looked out at him and knew at once that he had the look of a vicious servant. A little later another vicious servant came in. “The Third Grand Master is here,” he said. The waiter hurried round the tables telling them, “Everyone at your tables, stand up. The Third Grand Master is here.” At the waiter’s word, every customer in the place stood up. The waiter told Lei Ming and Chen Liang as well, telling the two heroes to stand up too, because the Third Grand Master was here. “The Third Grand Master’s coming,” said Chen Liang, “so why should we stand up? Is the Third Grand Master paying for my meal?” “No,” said the waiter. “If he isn’t paying,” said Chen Liang, “we can’t stand up.” “I’m only saying it for your own good,” said the waiter. “If you two don’t stand up, there’ll be no end of trouble.” “Since the day I was born,” said Lei Ming, “I’ve never once come across this ‘no end of trouble’. Today I’d like a look at what ‘no end of trouble’ is like.”
夥計怕惹事，叫眾客人在頭裡站著，擋著他們。雷鳴、陳亮又要瞧瞧惡霸什麼樣，不站起來，頭裡擋著瞧不見，二位也只好站起來。見外面進來三個人，頭二位都是藍綢四楞巾，藍綢子銅氅，篆底官靴，都是拱肩梭背。這兩個本是本縣的刀筆先生，一位姓曹，一位姓盧。後頭跟著這位三太爺，是身高七尺，頭戴寶藍逍遙員外巾，身穿寶藍緞寬領闊袖袍，周身繡團花，足下薄底靴子，打扮的文不文，武不武。三十多歲，黃尖尖的臉膛，兩道細眉，一雙三角眼，明露著精明強壯，暗隱著鬼計多端，不是好人的樣子。雷鳴一看說：「老三，原來是這小子。當初他也是西川路的賊，怎么此時會這么大勢利。」
伙计怕惹事，叫众客人在头里站着，挡着他们。雷鸣、陈亮又要瞧瞧恶霸什么样，不站起来，头里挡着瞧不见，二位也只好站起来。见外面进来三个人，头二位都是蓝绸四楞巾，蓝绸子铜氅，篆底官靴，都是拱肩梭背。这两个本是本县的刀笔先生，一位姓曹，一位姓卢。后头跟着这位三太爷，是身高七尺，头戴宝蓝逍遥员外巾，身穿宝蓝缎宽领阔袖袍，周身绣团花，足下薄底靴子，打扮的文不文，武不武。三十多岁，黄尖尖的脸膛，两道细眉，一双三角眼，明露着精明强壮，暗隐着鬼计多端，不是好人的样子。雷鸣一看说：「老三，原来是这小子。当初他也是西川路的贼，怎么此时会这么大势利。」
The waiter, afraid of trouble, had the other customers stand in front of the two of them to block them from view. But Lei Ming and Chen Liang wanted a look at what this tyrant was like, and if they stayed seated the people in front would block their view, so the two of them had no choice but to stand up. They saw three men come in. The first two both wore blue silk caps with four ridges, long blue silk robes and official boots with patterned soles, and both had hunched shoulders and stooped backs. These two were the county’s pettifoggers, one surnamed Cao and the other surnamed Lu. Behind them came the Third Grand Master himself. He was seven feet tall. On his head was a sapphire-blue ‘carefree’ squire’s cap, and he wore a sapphire-blue satin gown with a wide collar and broad sleeves, embroidered all over with roundels of flowers. On his feet were thin-soled boots. Dressed like that, he looked neither quite a scholar nor quite a fighting man. He was in his thirties, with a sallow, pointed face, two thin eyebrows and a pair of triangular eyes. On the surface he showed shrewdness and vigour; underneath he hid a head full of tricks. He did not look like a good man. Lei Ming took one look. “Third Brother,” he said, “so it’s this little punk. He was a thief in Xichuan Circuit himself in the old days. How has he got so mighty now?”
陳亮見惡霸眾人上了樓，把夥計叫過來。陳亮說：「這個三太爺來，為什麼都站起來，莫非全都怕他？」夥計說：「告訴你罷，他跟秦丞相是親戚。慢說鄉民，就是本地知府，也不敢得罪他。他要稍不願意，給秦丞相一封信，就能把知府撤調了。」陳亮一聽，這還了得。又問夥計：「你三太爺在哪裡住？」夥計說：「由我們這鋪子往北走，到北頭往東，一進東胡同路北大門，門口八字影壁，就是他那處，房子很高大。」陳亮打聽明白，吃喝完畢，給了酒飯帳，出了酒鋪往北，到北頭往東一拐，果見路北大門。二位英雄探明白了道路，就在城內大街找了一座店，字號是「億魁老店」，坐西朝東。二人來到店中，找了北院西房。夥計打洗臉水倒茶，陳亮說：「二哥，你看這惡霸，大概必是無所不為。今天晚上，咱們去哨探哨探。」雷鳴點頭答應。
陈亮见恶霸众人上了楼，把伙计叫过来。陈亮说：「这个三太爷来，为什么都站起来，莫非全都怕他？」伙计说：「告诉你罢，他跟秦丞相是亲戚。慢说乡民，就是本地知府，也不敢得罪他。他要稍不愿意，给秦丞相一封信，就能把知府撤调了。」陈亮一听，这还了得。又问伙计：「你三太爷在哪里住？」伙计说：「由我们这铺子往北走，到北头往东，一进东胡同路北大门，门口八字影壁，就是他那处，房子很高大。」陈亮打听明白，吃喝完毕，给了酒饭帐，出了酒铺往北，到北头往东一拐，果见路北大门。二位英雄探明白了道路，就在城内大街找了一座店，字号是「亿魁老店」，坐西朝东。二人来到店中，找了北院西房。伙计打洗脸水倒茶，陈亮说：「二哥，你看这恶霸，大概必是无所不为。今天晚上，咱们去哨探哨探。」雷鸣点头答应。
When the tyrant and his party had gone upstairs, Chen Liang called the waiter over. “When this Third Grand Master comes in,” said Chen Liang, “why does everyone stand up? Can it be they’re all afraid of him?” “I’ll tell you, then,” said the waiter. “He’s related to Chancellor Qin. Never mind us country folk, even the prefect here doesn’t dare offend him. If he’s the least bit displeased, he sends a letter to Chancellor Qin and can have the prefect removed and posted elsewhere.” When Chen Liang heard this, he thought it was beyond all bounds. He asked the waiter again, “Where does your Third Grand Master live?” “Go north from our shop,” said the waiter, “turn east at the north end, and as soon as you’re in East Lane there’s a big gate on the north side, with a splayed spirit screen in front of it. That’s his place. The buildings are very tall and grand.” Having found out what he wanted, Chen Liang finished eating and drinking and paid the bill for the wine and food. They left the wine shop, went north, turned east at the north end, and there, sure enough, was the big gate on the north side. When the two heroes had got the lie of the way, they found an inn on the main street inside the city, called the Old Yikui Inn, on the west side of the street facing east. The two of them went into the inn and took the west rooms of the north courtyard. The attendant brought water for washing their faces and poured tea. “Second Brother,” said Chen Liang, “look at this tyrant. Most likely there’s no wickedness he won’t stoop to. Tonight let’s go and scout the place out.” Lei Ming nodded and agreed.