農子馬天榮，年二十餘。喪偶，貧不能娶。偶芸田間，見少婦盛妝，踐禾越陌而過，貌赤色，致亦風流。馬疑其迷途，顧四野無人，戲挑之。婦亦微納。欲與野合。笑曰：「青天白日，寧宜為此？子歸，掩門相候，昏夜我當至。」馬不信，婦矢之。馬乃以門戶嚮背具告之，婦乃去。夜分，果至，遂相悅愛。覺其膚肌嫩甚；火之，膚赤薄如嬰兒，細毛遍體，異之。又疑其蹤跡無據，自念得非狐耶？遂戲相詰。婦亦自認不諱。馬曰：「既為仙人，自當無求不得。既蒙繾綣，寧不以數金濟我貧？」婦諾之。次夜來，馬索金。婦故愕曰：「適忘之。」將去，馬又囑。至夜，問：「所乞或勿忘耶？」婦笑，請以異日。逾數日，馬復索。婦笑向袖中出白金二鋌，約五六金，翹邊細紋，雅可愛玩。馬喜，深藏于櫝。積半歲，偶需金，因持示人。人曰：「是錫也。」以齒齕之，應口而落。馬大駭，收藏而歸。至夜，婦至，憤致誚讓。婦笑曰：「子命薄，真金不能任也。」一笑而罷。
農家子弟馬天榮，二十多歲，妻子死了，家裡貧窮，無力再娶。一天，他正在田裡除草，看見一個年輕婦人打扮得十分鮮豔，踩著莊稼，越過田間小路走來。她臉色發紅，模樣卻也頗有風韻。馬天榮以為她迷了路，看看四周田野裡沒有人，就逗弄她。婦人也略微表示接受。馬天榮想在野地裡與她交歡。婦人笑著說：「青天白日，怎麼適合做這種事？你回家去，關上門等我，天黑以後我就來。」馬天榮不信，婦人便發誓保證。馬天榮於是把自己家在哪裡、門朝哪個方向，都詳細告訴了她，婦人這才離開。到了半夜，她果然來了，兩人便親熱起來。馬天榮覺得她的肌膚格外柔嫩，拿燈照看，見她皮膚紅而薄，像嬰兒一樣，全身長滿細毛，不禁覺得奇怪。又想到她來去無蹤，心裡懷疑：莫非是狐狸？便半開玩笑地追問她。婦人也直認不諱。馬天榮說：「既然你是仙人，想要什麼，自然都能得到。既然你這樣愛我，難道不能拿幾兩銀子接濟我的貧困嗎？」婦人答應了。第二天夜裡，她來了，馬天榮便要銀子。婦人故意裝出驚訝的樣子，說：「剛才忘了帶。」她臨走時，馬天榮又叮囑了一遍。到了夜裡，他問：「我求你的事，這回沒有忘吧？」婦人笑了笑，請他再等幾天。過了幾天，馬天榮又要，婦人笑著從袖子裡拿出兩錠白銀，共有五六兩，邊沿翹起，紋路細緻，很值得欣賞把玩。馬天榮大喜，把銀錠藏在箱子深處。過了半年，偶然需要用錢，便拿給別人看。那人說：「這是錫。」用牙一咬，便咬下了一塊。馬天榮大吃一驚，收起銀錠回家。夜裡婦人來了，他便氣憤地責備她。婦人笑著說：「你福分薄，承受不起真銀子。」笑了一笑，這件事便算過去了。
农子马天荣，年二十余。丧偶，贫不能娶。偶芸田间，见少妇盛妆，践禾越陌而过，貌赤色，致亦风流。马疑其迷途，顾四野无人，戏挑之。妇亦微纳。欲与野合。笑曰：「青天白日，宁宜为此？子归，掩门相候，昏夜我当至。」马不信，妇矢之。马乃以门户向背具告之，妇乃去。夜分，果至，遂相悦爱。觉其肤肌嫩甚；火之，肤赤薄如婴儿，细毛遍体，异之。又疑其踪迹无据，自念得非狐耶？遂戏相诘。妇亦自认不讳。马曰：「既为仙人，自当无求不得。既蒙缱绻，宁不以数金济我贫？」妇诺之。次夜来，马索金。妇故愕曰：「适忘之。」将去，马又嘱。至夜，问：「所乞或勿忘耶？」妇笑，请以异日。逾数日，马复索。妇笑向袖中出白金二铤，约五六金，翘边细纹，雅可爱玩。马喜，深藏于椟。积半岁，偶需金，因持示人。人曰：「是锡也。」以齿龁之，应口而落。马大骇，收藏而归。至夜，妇至，愤致诮让。妇笑曰：「子命薄，真金不能任也。」一笑而罢。
农家子弟马天荣，二十多岁，妻子死了，家里贫穷，无力再娶。一天，他正在田里除草，看见一个年轻妇人打扮得十分鲜艳，踩着庄稼，越过田间小路走来。她脸色发红，模样却也颇有风韵。马天荣以为她迷了路，看看四周田野里没有人，就逗弄她。妇人也略微表示接受。马天荣想在野地里与她交欢。妇人笑着说：“青天白日，怎么适合做这种事？你回家去，关上门等我，天黑以后我就来。”马天荣不信，妇人便发誓保证。马天荣于是把自己家在哪里、门朝哪个方向，都详细告诉了她，妇人这才离开。到了半夜，她果然来了，两人便亲热起来。马天荣觉得她的肌肤格外柔嫩，拿灯照看，见她皮肤红而薄，像婴儿一样，全身长满细毛，不禁觉得奇怪。又想到她来去无踪，心里怀疑：莫非是狐狸？便半开玩笑地追问她。妇人也直认不讳。马天荣说：“既然你是仙人，想要什么，自然都能得到。既然你这样爱我，难道不能拿几两银子接济我的贫困吗？”妇人答应了。第二天夜里，她来了，马天荣便要银子。妇人故意装出惊讶的样子，说：“刚才忘了带。”她临走时，马天荣又叮嘱了一遍。到了夜里，他问：“我求你的事，这回没有忘吧？”妇人笑了笑，请他再等几天。过了几天，马天荣又要，妇人笑着从袖子里拿出两锭白银，共有五六两，边沿翘起，纹路细致，很值得欣赏把玩。马天荣大喜，把银锭藏在箱子深处。过了半年，偶然需要用钱，便拿给别人看。那人说：“这是锡。”用牙一咬，便咬下了一块。马天荣大吃一惊，收起银锭回家。夜里妇人来了，他便气愤地责备她。妇人笑着说：“你福分薄，承受不起真银子。”笑了一笑，这件事便算过去了。
Ma Tianrong, a farmer’s son, was a little over twenty. His wife had died, and he was too poor to marry again. One day as he was hoeing in his fields he saw a young married woman in full finery tramping through the grain and across the field paths. Her face was a ruddy colour, but she had a certain charm all the same. Ma supposed she had lost her way. Looking round and seeing no one in the open fields, he flirted with her, and she seemed not unwilling. He wanted to have her there in the field. She laughed. “In broad daylight? Is this the place for that? Go home, close your door and wait for me. I will come after dark.” Ma did not believe her; she swore to it. So Ma told her just where his house stood and which way the door faced, and she left. In the middle of the night she came, as she had said, and they took their pleasure together. He felt how very soft her skin was. When he held a lamp to her, her skin was red and thin as a baby’s, and fine hair grew all over her body. He thought this strange. He was puzzled, too, that he could not tell where she came from, and thought to himself: could she be a fox? So he teased her with it, and she owned to it without any pretence. “Since you are an immortal,” Ma said, “there can be nothing you want that you cannot have. You have been so loving to me — won’t you help a poor man with a few taels of silver?” She promised. The next night she came, and Ma asked for the silver. She pretended surprise. “I forgot it just now.” As she was leaving, Ma reminded her. The following night he asked, “You haven’t forgotten what I asked for, have you?” She laughed and asked him to wait for another day. Several days later Ma asked again. Laughing, she took from her sleeve two ingots of silver, five or six taels in all, with turned-up edges and fine markings, very pretty to look at and handle. Ma was delighted and hid them deep in a chest. Half a year went by. Then he happened to need money and took them to show someone. “It’s tin,” the man said, and bit it; the metal came away in his teeth. Ma was badly shaken. He put the ingots away and went home. That night when she came, he angrily reproached her. She laughed. “Your lot in life is thin. Real silver would be more than you could bear.” With a laugh, that was the end of it.
馬曰：「聞狐仙皆國色，殊亦不然。」婦曰：「吾等皆隨人現化。子且無一金之福，落雁沉魚，何能消受？以我蠢陋，固不足以奉上流；然較之大足駝背者，即為國色。」過數月，忽以三金贈馬，曰：「子屢相索，我以子命不應有藏金。今媒聘有期，請以一婦之資相饋，亦借以贈別。」馬自白無聘婦之說。婦曰：「一二日自當有媒來。」馬問：「所言姿貌如何？」曰：「子思國色，自當是國色。」馬曰：「此即不敢望。但三金何能買婦？」婦曰：「此月老註定，非人力也。」馬問：「何遽言別？」曰：「戴月披星，終非了局。『使君自有婦』，搪塞何為？」天明而去，授黃末一刀圭，曰：「別後恐病，服此可療。」
馬天榮說：「聽說狐仙個個都是絕色美人，看來也並非如此。」婦人說：「我們都是隨著所遇的人變化形貌。你連享有一兩銀子的福分都沒有，沉魚落雁的美人，又怎麼承受得起？我這樣粗笨醜陋，固然不配侍奉上等人；可與大腳駝背的女子相比，也算是絕色美人了。」過了幾個月，她忽然送給馬天榮三兩銀子，說：「你屢次向我要錢，我覺得你命裡不該積存銀子。如今你說媒訂親的日子快到了，就送你娶妻的費用，也算是臨別的贈禮。」馬天榮說明，自己根本沒有娶妻的打算。婦人說：「一兩天內，自然會有媒人來。」馬天榮問：「你說的女子，相貌怎麼樣？」婦人說：「你想要絕色美人，她自然就是絕色美人。」馬天榮說：「這倒不敢奢望。只是三兩銀子，怎麼能娶到妻子？」婦人說：「這是月老早已定下的姻緣，不是人力能決定的。」馬天榮問：「為什麼突然說要分別？」婦人說：「這樣披星戴月地來去，終究不是長久之計。『你自有妻子』，我又何必來湊數呢？」天亮時，她離開了，交給馬天榮一小撮黃色藥末，說：「分別以後，你恐怕會生病，服下這個就能治好。」
马曰：「闻狐仙皆国色，殊亦不然。」妇曰：「吾等皆随人现化。子且无一金之福，落雁沉鱼，何能消受？以我蠢陋，固不足以奉上流；然较之大足驼背者，即为国色。」过数月，忽以三金赠马，曰：「子屡相索，我以子命不应有藏金。今媒聘有期，请以一妇之资相馈，亦借以赠别。」马自白无聘妇之说。妇曰：「一二日自当有媒来。」马问：「所言姿貌如何？」曰：「子思国色，自当是国色。」马曰：「此即不敢望。但三金何能买妇？」妇曰：「此月老注定，非人力也。」马问：「何遽言别？」曰：「戴月披星，终非了局。『使君自有妇』，搪塞何为？」天明而去，授黄末一刀圭，曰：「别后恐病，服此可疗。」
马天荣说：“听说狐仙个个都是绝色美人，看来也并非如此。”妇人说：“我们都是随着所遇的人变化形貌。你连享有一两银子的福分都没有，沉鱼落雁的美人，又怎么承受得起？我这样粗笨丑陋，固然不配侍奉上等人；可与大脚驼背的女子相比，也算是绝色美人了。”过了几个月，她忽然送给马天荣三两银子，说：“你屡次向我要钱，我觉得你命里不该积存银子。如今你说媒订亲的日子快到了，就送你娶妻的费用，也算是临别的赠礼。”马天荣说明，自己根本没有娶妻的打算。妇人说：“一两天内，自然会有媒人来。”马天荣问：“你说的女子，相貌怎么样？”妇人说：“你想要绝色美人，她自然就是绝色美人。”马天荣说：“这倒不敢奢望。只是三两银子，怎么能娶到妻子？”妇人说：“这是月老早已定下的姻缘，不是人力能决定的。”马天荣问：“为什么突然说要分别？”妇人说：“这样披星戴月地来去，终究不是长久之计。‘你自有妻子’，我又何必来凑数呢？”天亮时，她离开了，交给马天荣一小撮黄色药末，说：“分别以后，你恐怕会生病，服下这个就能治好。”
Ma said, “I’ve heard that fox immortals are all beauties fit for a kingdom. It doesn’t seem so at all.” “We take our form to suit the man,” she said. “You haven’t the fortune for even one tael of silver. How could you enjoy a beauty who makes the wild geese fall and the fish sink? Coarse and ugly as I am, I am certainly not fit to wait on a man of the better sort; but next to a big-footed hunchback, I am a beauty fit for a kingdom.” A few months later she suddenly gave Ma three taels. “You kept asking me for money,” she said, “but your fate was not meant to hold a store of it. Now the time of your betrothal is near, so let me give you the price of a wife; it will be my parting gift as well.” Ma said there was no talk of his taking a wife. “In a day or two a matchmaker will come,” she said. “What does the girl look like?” Ma asked. “You long for a beauty fit for a kingdom; a beauty fit for a kingdom she must be.” “That I don’t dare hope for,” said Ma. “But how can three taels buy a wife?” “That was fixed by the Old Man under the Moon. Human effort has nothing to do with it.” “Why speak of parting so suddenly?” Ma asked. “Coming under the moon and going under the stars — it can never come to anything. ‘You, sir, have a wife of your own’: what use is a stopgap?” At daybreak she left. She gave him a spoonful of yellow powder and said, “After we part you may fall ill. Take this and it will cure you.”