話說陸炳文遣人把周氏誆到王勝仙家中，一打轎簾，周氏就愣了。連忙問道：「喲，這是哪裡？」旁邊過來兩個僕婦說：「大奶奶你要問，我告訴你，你丈夫已然打了官司，入了獄了。現在我家太歲爺姓王，是當朝秦丞相的兄弟，現任大理寺正堂，久慕大奶奶芳容美貌，特把大奶奶接來，跟我家太爺成其百年之好。你這一輩子，享不盡的榮華，受不盡的富貴，比你跟著竇永衡勝強百倍了。」周氏一聽這句話，如站在萬丈樓上失腳，揚子江斷纜崩舟。周氏雖然不是書香門第，也是根本人家，自己頗知禮義，立刻氣得渾身發抖，說：「好惡霸，你既做皇上家的職官，理應該修福利善，無故謀算良家婦女，做出這樣傷天害理事！我丈夫既被你陷了，我這條命不要了。」
话说陆炳文遣人把周氏诓到王胜仙家中，一打轿帘，周氏就愣了。连忙问道：「哟，这是哪里？」旁边过来两个仆妇说：「大奶奶你要问，我告诉你，你丈夫已然打了官司，入了狱了。现在我家太岁爷姓王，是当朝秦丞相的兄弟，现任大理寺正堂，久慕大奶奶芳容美貌，特把大奶奶接来，跟我家太爷成其百年之好。你这一辈子，享不尽的荣华，受不尽的富贵，比你跟着窦永衡胜强百倍了。」周氏一听这句话，如站在万丈楼上失脚，扬子江断缆崩舟。周氏虽然不是书香门第，也是根本人家，自己颇知礼义，立刻气得浑身发抖，说：「好恶霸，你既做皇上家的职官，理应该修福利善，无故谋算良家妇女，做出这样伤天害理事！我丈夫既被你陷了，我这条命不要了。」
Now, Lu Bingwen had sent people to trick Madam Zhou into coming to Wang Shengxian’s house. When the sedan curtain was lifted, Madam Zhou froze. “Oh!” she asked quickly. “Where is this?” Two serving women came up beside her. “If you want to know, Madam, I’ll tell you. Your husband has been taken to stand trial and is in prison. Our Grand Duke here is surnamed Wang. He is the brother of Chancellor Qin of the present court and is now head of the Court of Judicial Review. He has long admired your lovely looks, Madam, and has had you brought here specially to be joined with His Lordship for a hundred years of happiness. All your life you’ll have glory without end and riches past spending — a hundred times better than sticking with Dou Yongheng.” When Madam Zhou heard this, she felt like someone who loses her footing atop a tower ten thousand feet high, like a boat on the Yangzi River whose cable snaps and whose hull splits apart. Madam Zhou did not come from a family of scholars, but she came of decent, honest people and knew well what was right and proper. At once she shook all over with rage. “You villainous tyrant! You hold office in the Emperor’s service — you ought to be earning merit and doing good. Instead you scheme for no reason against a respectable woman and do a thing so cruel it offends Heaven! You’ve already framed my husband, so I don’t want this life of mine any longer.”
自己說著話，伸手就抓自己的臉，欲要撞死。王勝仙一看，本來周氏長得芳容貌美，絕世無比，趕緊叫婆子把她攔住，揪到合歡樓勸解勸解她。婆子把周氏手拉住，就把二臂捆上，周氏本來懦弱的身體，焉能拉拉扯扯，婆子把周氏架到花園子合歡樓上去，有四五個伶口俐齒的婆子，勸解周氏娘子，周氏破口大罵，罵累了，就不言語了，眾婆子一個個你一言我一語勸說。周氏娘子氣得顏色更變，說：「誰家沒有少婦長女？你這婆子歲數也不小了，總要說點德行話，你總盼著別當奴才，給人家支使著，你們要瞧著惡霸家裡好，你們誰家裡有少婦長女，就送給惡霸成親好享福。」眾婆子一聽，說：「大娘子，你別繞彎罵我們，太爺叫我們來勸你，我們也是為你好。你要不依從，真把太歲爺招惱了，就是一頓馬鞭子，那時你也應得。再不然把你打死了，就在花園子一埋，你也是白死，誰來給你報這個仇？」周氏說：「我情願死，你們還有什麼說了？」
自己说着话，伸手就抓自己的脸，欲要撞死。王胜仙一看，本来周氏长得芳容貌美，绝世无比，赶紧叫婆子把她拦住，揪到合欢楼劝解劝解她。婆子把周氏手拉住，就把二臂捆上，周氏本来懦弱的身体，焉能拉拉扯扯，婆子把周氏架到花园子合欢楼上去，有四五个伶口俐齿的婆子，劝解周氏娘子，周氏破口大骂，骂累了，就不言语了，众婆子一个个你一言我一语劝说。周氏娘子气得颜色更变，说：「谁家没有少妇长女？你这婆子岁数也不小了，总要说点德行话，你总盼着别当奴才，给人家支使着，你们要瞧着恶霸家里好，你们谁家里有少妇长女，就送给恶霸成亲好享福。」众婆子一听，说：「大娘子，你别绕弯骂我们，太爷叫我们来劝你，我们也是为你好。你要不依从，真把太岁爷招恼了，就是一顿马鞭子，那时你也应得。再不然把你打死了，就在花园子一埋，你也是白死，谁来给你报这个仇？」周氏说：「我情愿死，你们还有什么说了？」
As she spoke, she clawed at her own face and made to dash her head against something and die. Wang Shengxian saw that Madam Zhou was indeed a beauty, lovely beyond compare, and he quickly told the old women to stop her and drag her up to Hehuan Tower to talk her round. The women seized Madam Zhou’s hands and tied her arms. She was frail to begin with — how could she hold out against their pulling and hauling? They half-carried her into the garden and up to Hehuan Tower, where four or five glib-tongued women set about talking Madam Zhou round. Madam Zhou cursed them to their faces, and when she had cursed herself tired she said nothing more, while the women took turns, a word from this one and a word from that, trying to persuade her. Madam Zhou’s face changed colour with anger. “Whose family has no young wives or grown daughters? You women aren’t young either — you ought to say something decent. Surely you’d rather not be slaves, ordered about by other people. If you think this tyrant’s house is such a fine place, then whichever of you has a young wife or a grown daughter at home, send her to marry the tyrant and live in clover!” “Young madam,” said the women, “don’t go cursing us in roundabout ways. His Lordship told us to talk you round, and it’s for your own good. If you won’t give in and you really make the Grand Duke angry, it’ll be a good horsewhipping, and you’ll have asked for it. Or else he’ll beat you to death and bury you here in the garden. You’ll have died for nothing — who’s going to avenge you?” “I would rather die,” said Madam Zhou. “What more have you got to say?”
書中交代：周老婆見竇永衡的妻子走後，把門關好，少時周老頭由茶鋪子喝茶回來了。周老婆說：「你回來了，咱們街坊竇大爺打了官司了，方才東街陳爺、楊爺打發人用轎子把竇大奶奶接了去，也不知竇大爺因為什麼事打官司？」周老頭一聽就一愣，說：「陳爺、楊爺親自來接的？」周老婆說：「不是，打發一個家人來接的。」周老頭一聽，說：「既不是陳爺、楊爺親身來接，你就不應當叫她去。臨安城有四惡霸，常常的設圈套，誆騙良家婦女，倘若竇大奶奶有點差錯，又年輕輕的，咱們這場官司打的了嗎？你這般大歲數，就不知道慎重慎重。」周老婆說：「我哪想到這些事情？你到陳爺、楊爺家去打聽打聽罷。」周老頭連忙來到楊猛、陳孝門首一打門，這哥倆在一個門裡住，楊猛在前頭住，陳孝在後院住，楊猛、陳孝正在一處談話，忽聽外面打門，二人開門一看是周老丈，陳孝說：「周老丈，為何這樣閒在？」周老頭說：「我來打聽打聽，現在竇永衡為什麼打官司？」楊猛、陳孝說：「不知道。」周老頭說：「二位不知道？哎呀！可了不得了！」
书中交代：周老婆见窦永衡的妻子走后，把门关好，少时周老头由茶铺子喝茶回来了。周老婆说：「你回来了，咱们街坊窦大爷打了官司了，方才东街陈爷、杨爷打发人用轿子把窦大奶奶接了去，也不知窦大爷因为什么事打官司？」周老头一听就一愣，说：「陈爷、杨爷亲自来接的？」周老婆说：「不是，打发一个家人来接的。」周老头一听，说：「既不是陈爷、杨爷亲身来接，你就不应当叫她去。临安城有四恶霸，常常的设圈套，诓骗良家妇女，倘若窦大奶奶有点差错，又年轻轻的，咱们这场官司打的了吗？你这般大岁数，就不知道慎重慎重。」周老婆说：「我哪想到这些事情？你到陈爷、杨爷家去打听打听罢。」周老头连忙来到杨猛、陈孝门首一打门，这哥俩在一个门里住，杨猛在前头住，陈孝在后院住，杨猛、陈孝正在一处谈话，忽听外面打门，二人开门一看是周老丈，陈孝说：「周老丈，为何这样闲在？」周老头说：「我来打听打听，现在窦永衡为什么打官司？」杨猛、陈孝说：「不知道。」周老头说：「二位不知道？哎呀！可了不得了！」
A word of explanation: after Dou Yongheng’s wife had gone, Old Mrs. Zhou shut the gate. A little later Old Zhou came back from drinking tea at the teahouse. “So you’re back,” said Old Mrs. Zhou. “Our neighbour Master Dou has gone and got himself taken to stand trial. Just now Master Chen and Master Yang of East Street sent someone with a sedan chair to fetch Madam Dou away. I’ve no idea what Master Dou is standing trial for.” Old Zhou started. “Did Master Chen and Master Yang come for her themselves?” “No,” said Old Mrs. Zhou. “They sent a servant to fetch her.” “If Master Chen and Master Yang didn’t come in person,” said Old Zhou, “you shouldn’t have let her go. There are four tyrants in Lin’an who are forever laying traps to trick respectable women. If anything happens to Madam Dou, young as she is, could we stand trial over that? At your age you still don’t know how to be careful.” “How was I to think of such things?” said Old Mrs. Zhou. “Go to Master Chen’s and Master Yang’s and ask about it.” Old Zhou hurried to Yang Meng’s and Chen Xiao’s gate and knocked. The two brothers lived behind the same gate, Yang Meng in the front and Chen Xiao in the back courtyard. Yang Meng and Chen Xiao were talking together when they heard knocking outside. They opened up and saw it was Old Zhou. “Old Master Zhou,” said Chen Xiao, “what brings you round with time on your hands?” “I’ve come to ask,” said Old Zhou, “why is Dou Yongheng standing trial?” “We don’t know,” said Yang Meng and Chen Xiao. “You two don’t know?” said Old Zhou. “Aiya! This is terrible!”