話說陳廣泰這一句話，把管世寬拒絕了。說：「你趁此去罷，休要叫皮緒昌妄想貪心！」管世寬碰了釘子，自己回來，一見皮緒昌，皮緒昌說：「你去提親怎么樣了？」管世寬說：「別提了，我去提親，陳廣泰不但不給，反出口不遜，罵的員外那些話，我真不敢直說了，怕你老人家生氣。」這小子添枝添葉，又蠱惑是非。皮緒昌一聽，勃然大怒，說：「好陳廣泰，竟敢這樣無禮，背地裡罵我，我焉能跟他善罷甘休。我非得把他女兒弄過來不可，我還得叫他跟我來說，認罪服輸，心甘情願把女兒給我，你等大家可有什麼高明主意？」管世寬說：「老員外要打算跟他賭氣，我倒有主意。員外不是跟村外廟裡的當家的相好么？那廟裡和尚有能為，你把他請來，跟他商量，徑直去把陳廣泰的女兒搶來，跟大爺一入洞房，生米煮成熟飯，他也沒了法子。要打官司就跟他打官司。」皮緒昌一想，說：「就是這個主意甚好，你就去把通天和尚法雷請來。」
话说陈广泰这一句话，把管世宽拒绝了。说：「你趁此去罢，休要叫皮绪昌妄想贪心！」管世宽碰了钉子，自己回来，一见皮绪昌，皮绪昌说：「你去提亲怎么样了？」管世宽说：「别提了，我去提亲，陈广泰不但不给，反出口不逊，骂的员外那些话，我真不敢直说了，怕你老人家生气。」这小子添枝添叶，又蛊惑是非。皮绪昌一听，勃然大怒，说：「好陈广泰，竟敢这样无礼，背地里骂我，我焉能跟他善罢甘休。我非得把他女儿弄过来不可，我还得叫他跟我来说，认罪服输，心甘情愿把女儿给我，你等大家可有什么高明主意？」管世宽说：「老员外要打算跟他赌气，我倒有主意。员外不是跟村外庙里的当家的相好么？那庙里和尚有能为，你把他请来，跟他商量，径直去把陈广泰的女儿抢来，跟大爷一入洞房，生米煮成熟饭，他也没了法子。要打官司就跟他打官司。」皮绪昌一想，说：「就是这个主意甚好，你就去把通天和尚法雷请来。」
Now, with those words Chen Guangtai had sent Guan Shikuan packing. “Be off with you while you can,” he had said, “and tell Pi Xuchang to stop dreaming his greedy dreams!” Having run up against a brick wall, Guan Shikuan went back on his own. When he saw Pi Xuchang, Pi Xuchang said, “Well, how did the proposal go?” “Don’t ask,” said Guan Shikuan. “I went and proposed, and not only would Chen Guangtai not give her, he turned foul-mouthed on me. The things he called you, sir — I really daren’t repeat them straight out, for fear of making you angry, my good old sir.” The scoundrel was adding twigs and leaves to the tale, stirring up trouble once again. When Pi Xuchang heard this, he flew into a rage. “So that’s Chen Guangtai for you!” he said. “To dare be so insolent, cursing me behind my back! How can I let him get away with it? I’ll have his daughter over here if it’s the last thing I do. What’s more, I’ll make him come to me himself, admit he was wrong, own himself beaten and hand his daughter over to me of his own free will. Have any of you got a bright idea?” “If you mean to have it out with him, Old Squire,” said Guan Shikuan, “I’ve got an idea. Aren’t you on good terms with the head of the temple outside the village? The monk at that temple has real powers. Invite him over, talk it through with him, and go straight and carry off Chen Guangtai’s daughter. Once she and the young master have gone into the bridal chamber, the raw rice is cooked, and there’s nothing he can do about it. If he takes it to court, then stand trial and fight it out with him.” Pi Xuchang thought it over. “That’s a very good idea,” he said. “Go and invite the monk Tongtian, Falei, over at once.”
書中交代：通天和尚法雷，自從彌勒院逃走，這裡一座小廟是他的下院，他就來到這廟裡住著。皮緒昌正要打發人去請，偏巧有家人進來回稟，現有通天和尚前來稟見。皮緒昌趕緊吩咐：「有請。」
书中交代：通天和尚法雷，自从弥勒院逃走，这里一座小庙是他的下院，他就来到这庙里住着。皮绪昌正要打发人去请，偏巧有家人进来回禀，现有通天和尚前来禀见。皮绪昌赶紧吩咐：「有请。」
A word of explanation: after the monk Tongtian, Falei, fled from Maitreya Temple, he had come to live in this little temple here, which was a branch house of his. Pi Xuchang was just about to send someone to invite him when, as it happened, a servant came in to report that the monk Tongtian had come to call. “Show him in,” Pi Xuchang ordered at once.
把法雷讓到客廳，彼此行禮，皮緒昌說：「我正要去請你，你來的甚巧，現在我有一件為難事。」法雷說：「皮大哥，你有什麼為難事，只管說，我能替你辦得了，我萬死不辭！」皮緒昌說：「你我兄弟知己，我也不能瞞你。皆因你侄男他那一天瞧見陳廣泰的女兒，長的十分美貌，你侄男得了單思病。我打發人去提親，陳廣泰不但不給，把我罵得話難聽，我這口氣不出。我打算要把他女兒搶來，先跟我兒成親，然後再跟他打官司。聽說陳廣泰有個侄兒叫陳亮，在鏢行里可有能為，可不定在家沒在家，我要求賢弟給搶親，一來替我轉轉臉，二來搭救你侄兒。」通天和尚法雷一聽，說：「要搶人容易，這乃小事一段。我廟裡住著兩位西川路的朋友，一位叫賽雲龍黃慶，一位叫小喪門謝廣，這兩個人都有能為，武藝出眾，本領高強，把他二人約來幫著。」皮緒昌說：「好，趕緊派人到廟裡，就提法師父請謝爺、黃爺，到我家裡來。」
把法雷让到客厅，彼此行礼，皮绪昌说：「我正要去请你，你来的甚巧，现在我有一件为难事。」法雷说：「皮大哥，你有什么为难事，只管说，我能替你办得了，我万死不辞！」皮绪昌说：「你我兄弟知己，我也不能瞒你。皆因你侄男他那一天瞧见陈广泰的女儿，长的十分美貌，你侄男得了单思病。我打发人去提亲，陈广泰不但不给，把我骂得话难听，我这口气不出。我打算要把他女儿抢来，先跟我儿成亲，然后再跟他打官司。听说陈广泰有个侄儿叫陈亮，在镖行里可有能为，可不定在家没在家，我要求贤弟给抢亲，一来替我转转脸，二来搭救你侄儿。」通天和尚法雷一听，说：「要抢人容易，这乃小事一段。我庙里住着两位西川路的朋友，一位叫赛云龙黄庆，一位叫小丧门谢广，这两个人都有能为，武艺出众，本领高强，把他二人约来帮着。」皮绪昌说：「好，赶紧派人到庙里，就提法师父请谢爷、黄爷，到我家里来。」
Falei was shown into the reception hall, and they greeted each other. “I was just about to send for you,” said Pi Xuchang. “You’ve come at just the right moment. I’m in a fix.” “Brother Pi,” said Falei, “whatever your fix is, just tell me. If I can handle it for you, I’ll do it though it kills me ten thousand times over!” “You and I are brothers who know each other’s hearts,” said Pi Xuchang, “so I won’t keep anything from you. It’s like this. The other day your nephew caught sight of Chen Guangtai’s daughter, a real beauty, and now your nephew’s sick with longing for her. I sent someone to propose, and not only would Chen Guangtai not give her, he cursed me in the ugliest words. I can’t swallow it. I mean to carry off his daughter, marry her to my son first, and then stand trial against him. I hear Chen Guangtai has a nephew called Chen Liang who’s a man of real skill in the escort trade, though whether he’s at home or not I can’t say. I’m asking you, my good brother, to carry off the bride for me: for one thing, to help me save face, and for another, to save your nephew.” When the monk Tongtian, Falei, heard this, he said, “Carrying off a girl is easy — a small matter. There are two friends from the Xichuan Circuit staying at my temple, one called Huang Qing, the Cloud Dragon’s Better (Sai Yunlong), and one called Xie Guang, the Little Mourning Spirit (Xiao Sangmen). Both of them have real skill: their fighting is first-rate and their powers are great. Let’s ask the two of them to come and help.” “Good,” said Pi Xuchang. “Send someone to the temple at once. Say Master Fa asks Master Xie and Master Huang to come to my house.”