話說雷鳴、陳亮要回鎮江府，走在道路之上，來到一座村莊，見有一個老頭，拉著一個十二三歲的小孩直打；這孩子口中不住直罵。雷鳴一看，說：「老三，你看這個小孩，老頭為什麼這么大年歲跟小孩一般見識？我過去問問。」雷鳴來到近前，說：「老頭，這孩子是你什麼人？你打他？」老頭說：「二位要問，這孩子並不是我什麼人，實在可恨！」雷鳴說：「既不是你什麼人，你這么大歲數打小孩子，因為什麼？」老者說：「我告訴你們二位，你給評評理。老漢我姓趙，叫趙好善，我們這地方叫趙家莊。這個孩子叫二哥，他姓陳，他有一個母親，娘家姓孫，跟我並不沾親帶故。只因他母子逃難，來到我這村莊，我是一片慈心，見他母子可憐，一個年輕的婦人，帶著一個小孩子，流落在外鄉，連住處都沒有，我對門有三間場院房，叫他母子白住，我並不要房錢，他母親倒很安分，天天到七星鎮有一家財主家去做針線活，早去晚歸。人家財主家有小孩子怕打架，他母親天天去也不帶著他。昨天他母親回來，躺在炕上，一句話也沒說就死了。今天我聽見說，我一想已然死了，這也無法，誰叫住我的房呢？我只好給買一口棺材，把他埋了罷。誰想到這孩子他說不叫埋，他說他母親沒病，他還要留著他母親做伴。二位想想莫非我這房子就擱著一個死屍占著？世界上也沒有死了人不埋的道理。我就要埋，這孩子張嘴就罵，不叫埋定了。因為這個罵上我的氣來，我這才打他。」雷鳴說：「你這孩子這可是太渾，你娘業已死了，焉有不埋的道理？」小孩說：「我娘沒病，我不叫埋，我還留著叫我娘跟我做伴呢。」雷鳴說：「你這孩子可是胡鬧，你快叫人家把你娘埋了罷。不要緊，你沒人管，我們把你帶了走，我瞧你也怪苦的。」趙老丈說：「二位把他帶了走罷。」小孩直哭直鬧，趙好善說：「二位貴姓？」雷鳴、陳亮各通了名姓，趙好善說：「二位跟我來瞧瞧，他說他娘沒病死不了，你們二位來瞧瞧，是死了沒有？」
话说雷鸣、陈亮要回镇江府，走在道路之上，来到一座村庄，见有一个老头，拉着一个十二三岁的小孩直打；这孩子口中不住直骂。雷鸣一看，说：「老三，你看这个小孩，老头为什么这么大年岁跟小孩一般见识？我过去问问。」雷鸣来到近前，说：「老头，这孩子是你什么人？你打他？」老头说：「二位要问，这孩子并不是我什么人，实在可恨！」雷鸣说：「既不是你什么人，你这么大岁数打小孩子，因为什么？」老者说：「我告诉你们二位，你给评评理。老汉我姓赵，叫赵好善，我们这地方叫赵家庄。这个孩子叫二哥，他姓陈，他有一个母亲，娘家姓孙，跟我并不沾亲带故。只因他母子逃难，来到我这村庄，我是一片慈心，见他母子可怜，一个年轻的妇人，带着一个小孩子，流落在外乡，连住处都没有，我对门有三间场院房，叫他母子白住，我并不要房钱，他母亲倒很安分，天天到七星镇有一家财主家去做针线活，早去晚归。人家财主家有小孩子怕打架，他母亲天天去也不带着他。昨天他母亲回来，躺在炕上，一句话也没说就死了。今天我听见说，我一想已然死了，这也无法，谁叫住我的房呢？我只好给买一口棺材，把他埋了罢。谁想到这孩子他说不叫埋，他说他母亲没病，他还要留着他母亲做伴。二位想想莫非我这房子就搁着一个死尸占着？世界上也没有死了人不埋的道理。我就要埋，这孩子张嘴就骂，不叫埋定了。因为这个骂上我的气来，我这才打他。」雷鸣说：「你这孩子这可是太浑，你娘业已死了，焉有不埋的道理？」小孩说：「我娘没病，我不叫埋，我还留着叫我娘跟我做伴呢。」雷鸣说：「你这孩子可是胡闹，你快叫人家把你娘埋了罢。不要紧，你没人管，我们把你带了走，我瞧你也怪苦的。」赵老丈说：「二位把他带了走罢。」小孩直哭直闹，赵好善说：「二位贵姓？」雷鸣、陈亮各通了名姓，赵好善说：「二位跟我来瞧瞧，他说他娘没病死不了，你们二位来瞧瞧，是死了没有？」
Now, Lei Ming and Chen Liang were on their way back to Zhenjiang Prefecture. As they went along the road they came to a village, and there they saw an old man hauling a boy of twelve or thirteen about and beating him again and again, while the boy cursed him without a pause. Lei Ming looked and said, “Third Brother, look at that boy. Why would an old man his age stoop to squabbling with a child? I’ll go over and ask.” Lei Ming went up to them. “Old fellow,” he said, “what is this boy to you, that you’re beating him?” “Since you two ask,” said the old man, “the boy is nothing to me. He really is a hateful little thing!” “If he’s nothing to you,” said Lei Ming, “then why is a man of your years beating a child?” “Let me tell you two,” said the old man, “and you can judge who’s in the right. This old man’s surname is Zhao, and my name is Zhao Haoshan, and this place of ours is called Zhao Family Village. The boy is called Erge, and his surname is Chen. He had a mother whose maiden name was Sun. She was no kin of mine, no connection of any kind. It was only that the two of them, mother and son, came to my village fleeing hard times. I have a soft heart, and I felt sorry for them: a young woman with a little child, adrift far from home, without even a place to live. Across the road from me I have a three-room house on my threshing yard, and I let the two of them live in it for nothing; I never asked a copper of rent. His mother was a decent, quiet sort. Every day she went to Qixing Town to do needlework for a rich family, leaving early and coming back late. The rich family has little children, and she was afraid he’d get into fights with them, so she never took him along. Yesterday his mother came home, lay down on the brick bed and died without a word. I heard about it today. Well, I thought, she’s dead, and there’s nothing to be done about it — she was living in my house, after all, so it falls to me. All I can do is buy a coffin and bury her. Who’d have thought the boy would say she wasn’t to be buried? He says his mother wasn’t ill, and he wants to keep her to keep him company. Think about it, you two: am I to leave a dead body lying in my house for good? There’s no such thing in the world as a dead person who doesn’t get buried. So I was going to bury her, and the moment he opened his mouth he cursed me, dead set against it. That cursing got my temper up, and that’s why I hit him.” “You’re being far too pigheaded, boy,” said Lei Ming. “Your mother’s already dead. How can she not be buried?” “My mother wasn’t ill,” said the boy. “I won’t let her be buried. I’m keeping her so my mother can keep me company.” “You’re just making trouble, boy,” said Lei Ming. “Hurry up and let him bury your mother. Never mind: if you’ve nobody to look after you, we’ll take you along with us. I can see you’ve had a hard time of it.” “Then take him with you, you two,” said Old Master Zhao. The boy cried and kicked up a fuss. “May I ask your honourable names, you two?” said Zhao Haoshan. Lei Ming and Chen Liang each gave their names. “Come with me and have a look, you two,” said Zhao Haoshan. “He says his mother wasn’t ill and couldn’t have died. Come and see for yourselves whether she’s dead or not.”
雷鳴、陳亮二人跟著，進了這西村口，趙好善說：「我就在這路北大門住家，路南里就是我的場院了。」雷鳴、陳亮一看，路南里是一片空地，周圍籬笆圈，裡面有三間南房。大眾一同來到裡面，到了屋中一看，東裡間順前檐的炕，炕上躺著一個少婦，已然是死了。雖然衣服平常，看年歲也不過有三十歲，長得倒有幾分姿色。雷鳴、陳亮一看，果然是死了，說：「孩子，你娘分明是死了，好端端又不是人害的，你不叫埋怎么樣？」正說著話，聽外面一聲：「哎呀！阿彌陀佛，善哉，善哉！你說不管，我和尚焉有不管之理？」
雷鸣、陈亮二人跟着，进了这西村口，赵好善说：「我就在这路北大门住家，路南里就是我的场院了。」雷鸣、陈亮一看，路南里是一片空地，周围篱笆圈，里面有三间南房。大众一同来到里面，到了屋中一看，东里间顺前檐的炕，炕上躺着一个少妇，已然是死了。虽然衣服平常，看年岁也不过有三十岁，长得倒有几分姿色。雷鸣、陈亮一看，果然是死了，说：「孩子，你娘分明是死了，好端端又不是人害的，你不叫埋怎么样？」正说着话，听外面一声：「哎呀！阿弥陀佛，善哉，善哉！你说不管，我和尚焉有不管之理？」
Lei Ming and Chen Liang went along with him and came in at the west end of the village. “I live right here, behind the big gate on the north side of the road,” said Zhao Haoshan. “The south side of the road is my threshing yard.” Lei Ming and Chen Liang looked: on the south side of the road was an open plot with a wattle fence all round it, and inside it a three-room house facing north. They all went in together. When they got into the house and looked, there in the east inner room, on the brick bed that ran along under the front eaves, lay a young woman, already dead. Her clothes were plain enough, and she looked no more than thirty, and rather pretty. Lei Ming and Chen Liang saw that she was dead, sure enough. “Boy,” they said, “your mother is plainly dead. She died in her own bed, and nobody did her any harm. If you won’t let her be buried, what then?” Just as they were speaking, they heard a voice from outside: “Aiya! Amitabha! Good, good! You say you’ll keep out of it — but how could this monk keep out of it?”
雷鳴、陳亮一聽是濟公的聲音，趕緊往外一看，果然不錯，是和尚帶著何蘭慶、陶萬春兩位班頭。雷鳴、陳亮說：「好，趙老丈你看看靈隱寺濟公來了！」
雷鸣、陈亮一听是济公的声音，赶紧往外一看，果然不错，是和尚带着何兰庆、陶万春两位班头。雷鸣、陈亮说：「好，赵老丈你看看灵隐寺济公来了！」
When Lei Ming and Chen Liang heard Ji Gong’s voice, they hurried to look outside. Sure enough, it was the monk, with the two head constables, He Lanqing and Tao Wanchun. “Good!” said Lei Ming and Chen Liang. “Old Master Zhao, look: Ji Gong of Lingyin Temple has come!”