秦郵王鼎，字仙湖。為人慷慨有力，廣交遊。年十八，未娶，妻殞。每遠遊，恆經歲不返。兄鼐，江北名士，友于甚篤。勸弟勿遊，將為擇偶。生不聽，命舟抵鎮江訪友。友他出，因稅居於逆旅閣上。江水澄波，金山在目，心甚快之。次日，友人來，請生移居；辭不去。居半月餘，夜夢女郎，年可十四五，容華端妙，上床與合，既寤而遺。頗怪之，亦以為偶然。入夜，又夢之。如是三四夜。心大異，不敢息燭，身雖偃臥，惕然自警。纔交睫，夢女復來；方狎，忽自驚寤；急開目，則少女如仙，儼然猶在抱也。見生醒，頓自愧怯。生雖知非人，意亦甚得；無暇問訊，直與馳驟。女若不堪，曰：「狂暴如此，無怪人不敢明告也。」生始詰之。答云：「妾伍氏秋月。先父名儒，邃於易數。常珍愛妾；但言不永壽，故不許字人。後十五歲果夭歿，即攢瘞閣東，令與地平。亦無冢誌，惟立片石於棺側，曰：『女秋月，葬無冢，三十年，嫁王鼎。』今已三十年，君適至。心喜，亟欲自薦；寸心羞怯，故假之夢寐耳。」王亦喜，復求訖事。曰：「妾少須陽氣，欲求復生，實不禁此風雨。後日好合無限，何必今宵。」遂起而去。次日，復至，坐對笑謔，懽若生平。滅燭登床，無異生人；但女既起，則遺洩流離，沾染茵褥。一夕，明月瑩澈，小步庭中。問女：「冥中亦有城郭否？」答曰：「等耳。冥間城府，不在此處，去此可三四里。但以夜為晝。」問：「生人能見之否？」答云：「亦可。」生請往觀，女諾之。乘月去，女飄忽若風，王極力追隨。歘至一處，女言：「不遠矣。」王瞻望殊罔所見。女以唾塗其兩眥，啟之，明倍於常，視夜色不殊白晝。頓見雉堞在杳靄中；路上行人，如趨墟市。俄二皂縶三四人過，末一人怪類其兄。趨近之，果兄。駭問：「兄那得來？」兄見生，潸然零涕，言：「自不知何事，強被拘囚。」王怒曰：「我兄秉禮君子，何至縲絏如此！」便請二皂，幸且寬釋。皂不肯，殊大傲睨。生恚欲與爭。兄止之曰：「此是官命，亦合奉法。但余乏用度，索賄良苦。弟歸，宜措置。」生把兄臂，哭失聲。皂怒，猛掣項索，兄頓顛蹷。生見之，忿火填胸，不能制止，即解佩刀，立決皂首。一皂喊嘶，生又決之。女大驚曰：「殺官使，罪不宥！遲則禍及！請即覓舟北發，歸家勿摘提旛，杜門絕出入，七日保無慮也。」王乃挽兄夜買小舟，火急北渡。歸見弔客在門，知兄果死。閉門下鑰，始入。視兄已渺；入室，則亡者已蘇，便呼：「餓死矣！可急備湯餅。」時死已二日，家人盡駭。生乃備言其故。七日啟關，去喪旛，人始知其復甦。親友集問，但偽對之。轉思秋月，想念頗煩。遂復南下，至舊閣，秉燭久待，女竟不至。矇矓欲寢，見一婦人來，曰：「秋月小娘子致意郎君：前以公役被殺，凶犯逃亡，捉得娘子去，見在監押。押役遇之虐。日日盼郎君，當謀作經紀。」王悲憤，便從婦去。至一城都，入西郭，指一門曰：「小娘子暫寄此間。」王入，見房舍頗繁，寄頓囚犯甚多，並無秋月。又進一小扉，斗室中有燈火。王近窗以窺，則秋月坐榻上，掩袖嗚泣。二役在側，撮頤捉履，引以嘲戲。女啼益急。一役挽頸曰：「既為罪犯，尚守貞耶？」王怒，不暇語，持刀直入，一役一刀，摧斬如麻，篡取女郎而出。幸無覺者。裁至旅舍，驀然即醒。方怪幻夢之凶，見秋月含睇而立。生驚起曳坐，告之以夢。女曰：「真也，非夢也。」生驚曰：「且為奈何！」女歎曰：「此有定數。妾待月盡，始是生期；今已如此，急何能待！當速發瘞處，載妾同歸，日頻喚妾名，三日可活。但未滿時日，骨耎足弱，不能為君任井臼耳。」言已，草草欲出。又返身曰：「妾幾忘之，冥追若何？生時，父傳我符書，言三十年後，可佩夫婦。」乃索筆疾書兩符，曰：「一君自佩，一黏妾背。」送之出，志其沒處，掘尺許，即見棺木，亦已敗腐。側有小碑，果如女言。發棺視之，女顏色如生。抱入房中，衣裳隨風盡化。黏符已，以被褥嚴裹，負至江濱；呼攏泊舟，偽言妹急病，將送歸其家。幸南風大競，甫曉，已達里門。抱女安置，始告兄嫂。一家驚顧，亦莫敢直言其惑。生啟衾，長呼秋月，夜輒擁尸而寢。日漸溫煖。三日竟蘇，七日能步；更衣拜嫂，盈盈然神仙不殊。但十步之外，須人而行；不則隨風搖曳，屢欲傾側。見者以為身有此病，轉更增媚。每勸生曰：「君罪孽太深，宜積德誦經以懺之。不然，壽恐不永也。」生素不佞佛，至此皈依甚虔。後亦無恙。
秦郵人王鼎，字仙湖，為人慷慨，力氣很大，交友廣泛。十八歲時，他還沒成親，未婚妻就去世了。他每次出遠門，常常過了一年還不回來。哥哥王鼐是江北有名計程車人，對弟弟情意很深，勸他不要再四處遊歷，打算替他挑選妻子。王鼎不聽，乘船到鎮江訪友。朋友出門去了，他就在客店樓上租了房間。江水清澈，金山就在眼前，他心裡十分暢快。第二天，朋友回來，請他搬去同住，他推辭了，不肯離開。他住了半個多月，一夜夢見一個女子，年紀約十四五歲，容貌端正美麗，上床與他親熱，醒來後便發現自己遺精了。他覺得奇怪，卻也以為只是偶然。入夜後，又夢見她，接連三四夜都是如此。他心裡非常驚異，不敢熄滅蠟燭，雖然躺下，卻時刻警醒。剛一閤眼，夢裡的女子又來了，正在親熱，他忽然驚醒，急忙睜眼，只見一個美如仙人的少女，分明還在自己懷裡。女子見他醒來，頓時又羞又怕。王鼎雖然知道她不是人，心裡卻很喜歡，顧不上詢問，便迫不及待地與她親熱。女子像是承受不住，說：「你這麼粗暴，難怪人家不敢明著來告訴你。」王鼎這才詢問她的來歷。她回答：「我姓伍，名叫秋月。先父是位有名的儒生，精通用《易經》推算吉凶。他一向很疼愛我，只是說我不能長壽，所以不肯把我許配給人。後來，我十五歲時果然死了。他把我暫時埋在這座樓閣東邊，讓埋葬處與地面齊平，沒有墳頭，也沒有墓誌，只在棺材旁立了一片石頭，寫著：『女子秋月，葬時不築墳頭，三十年後，嫁給王鼎。』如今已經三十年，你恰好來到這裡。我心裡歡喜，急著來親近你，卻又害羞，所以才借夢境相見。」王鼎也很高興，又想接著和她親熱。她說：「我需要一些陽氣，想讓自己重新活過來，實在禁不起你這樣的折騰。以後相聚的日子還長，何必急在今晚。」說完便起身走了。第二天，她又來了，兩人相對坐著，說笑逗趣，親近得像相識已久。熄燈上床後，她與活人沒有分別，只是女子起身後，精液流了出來，沾溼了被褥。一天晚上，月光明亮清澈，兩人在院子裡慢步。王鼎問她：「陰間也有城池嗎？」她回答：「和陽間一樣。陰間的城池不在這裡，離這裡大約三四里，只是把夜晚當作白天。」王鼎問：「活人能看見嗎？」她說：「也能。」王鼎請求去看看，女子答應了。他們趁著月光出發，女子飄忽得像風一樣，王鼎竭力追趕。忽然來到一處，女子說：「不遠了。」王鼎放眼望去，卻什麼也看不見。女子用唾沫塗在他兩邊的眼角。他睜開眼睛，視力比平時清楚一倍，看夜色也與白晝無異。頓時看見遠處霧氣中有城牆，路上行人來來往往，像是在趕集。不一會兒，兩個穿黑衣的衙役綁著三四個人走過，最後一個人很像他哥哥。王鼎趕近一看，果然是哥哥，吃驚地問：「哥哥，你怎麼到這裡來了？」哥哥見到他，流著淚說：「我自己也不知道出了什麼事，硬被他們抓來囚禁。」王鼎怒道：「我哥哥是個守禮的君子，為什麼竟被這樣捆著！」他便請求兩個衙役，暫且放了哥哥。衙役不肯，神態十分傲慢。王鼎氣憤，想與他們爭論。哥哥制止他說：「這是官府的命令，也該依法辦事。只是我沒有錢，他們索要賄賂，逼得我很苦。弟弟回家後，要設法籌措。」王鼎抓住哥哥的胳膊，放聲痛哭。衙役發怒，猛拽套在哥哥脖子上的繩索，哥哥一下子跌倒。王鼎看見，怒火填滿胸膛，再也按捺不住，拔出佩刀，當場砍下那個衙役的頭。另一個衙役嘶聲喊叫，王鼎又砍下他的頭。女子大驚，說：「殺了官府差役，是不能赦免的罪！遲了就會惹來災禍！請馬上找船北去，回家後不要摘掉喪幡，關緊門戶，斷絕出入，七天後就可以保你無事。」王鼎便挽著哥哥，連夜僱了小船，急急渡江北去。回到家，看見弔喪的客人在門前，才知道哥哥果然死了。他關門上鎖，才往裡走。這時哥哥已經從身邊消失，進屋一看，死者已經甦醒，正喊：「餓死了！快準備湯餅！」當時哥哥已死了兩天，一家人全都驚駭。王鼎便把事情經過詳細說了。七天後，他們打開門戶，撤去喪幡，別人才知道哥哥復活了。親友聚來詢問，他們只編了些話應付。王鼎又想起秋月，思念得十分苦惱，便再次南下，來到原先的樓閣，點著蠟燭等了很久，女子始終沒來。他迷迷糊糊正要睡著，看見一個婦人進來，說：「秋月小娘子向郎君問好。先前因為公役被殺，兇犯逃走，他們就抓了小娘子去，如今正在監禁。看守的差役虐待她。她天天盼著郎君，你得想辦法救她。」王鼎又悲又怒，便跟著婦人前去。他們來到一座城，進了西城，婦人指著一扇門說：「小娘子暫時被關在這裡。」王鼎進去，看見房屋很多，關押著許多囚犯，卻沒有秋月。他又進了一扇小門，一間小屋裡亮著燈。王鼎靠近窗戶往裡看，只見秋月坐在床上，用袖子掩著臉哭泣。兩個差役在旁邊，捏她的下巴，抓她的鞋子，拉扯著調戲。女子哭得更急。一個差役拉住她的脖子，說：「已經成了罪犯，還要守貞潔嗎？」王鼎大怒，顧不上說話，提刀直衝進去，一個差役一刀，像砍麻稈一樣把他們砍倒，奪下女子出來。幸好沒有人察覺。剛到客店，他忽然醒了，正驚疑怎麼做了這麼兇險的夢，卻看見秋月含情望著他，站在面前。他驚得起身，拉她坐下，告訴她夢裡的事。女子說：「那是真的，不是夢。」王鼎驚問：「那該怎麼辦！」女子嘆道：「這都是命中註定。我本要等到月底，才到復生的時候；如今事情已經這樣，哪裡還等得下去！你得趕快挖開我的埋葬處，把我帶回家，每天多次呼喚我的名字，三天就能活過來。只是還沒到該復生的日子，骨頭軟，腿腳無力，不能替你打水舂米、料理家務。」說完，匆匆要出門，又轉身說：「我差點忘了，陰間來追捕怎麼辦？活著的時候，父親傳給我符書，說三十年後，我們夫妻可以佩戴。」她便要來筆，飛快寫了兩道符，說：「一道你自己佩戴，一道貼在我背上。」王鼎送她出門，記下她消失的地方，挖了一尺多，便看見棺木，已經腐朽。旁邊有塊小碑，果然與女子說的一樣。他打開棺材，看見女子容貌如同活著，便把她抱進房中。她的衣裳被風一吹，全都化散了。貼好符後，他用被褥嚴嚴實實地裹住她，背到江邊，招呼停泊的船靠過來，謊稱妹妹得了急病，要送她回家。幸好南風很大，天剛亮就到了家鄉。他把女子抱進去安置好，才告訴哥哥嫂嫂。一家人驚訝地看著，卻也沒人敢直接說出心中的疑惑。王鼎掀開被子，大聲呼喚秋月，夜裡便抱著她的屍身睡覺。她的身體一天比一天暖和，三天後果然甦醒，七天後能夠走路。她換好衣裳，拜見嫂嫂，姿態輕盈，與仙人沒有分別。只是走上十步以後，就得有人攙扶，否則便隨風搖晃，常常像要倒下。看見的人以為她身體有這種病，反倒覺得她更加嬌媚。她常勸王鼎說：「你的罪孽太深，應該積德、誦經，懺悔這些罪過。不然，恐怕不能長壽。」王鼎原本不崇信佛教，從這以後卻皈依得十分虔誠，後來也一直平安無事。
秦邮王鼎，字仙湖。为人慷慨有力，广交游。年十八，未娶，妻殒。每远游，恒经岁不返。兄鼐，江北名士，友于甚笃。劝弟勿游，将为择偶。生不听，命舟抵镇江访友。友他出，因税居于逆旅阁上。江水澄波，金山在目，心甚快之。次日，友人来，请生移居；辞不去。居半月余，夜梦女郎，年可十四五，容华端妙，上床与合，既寤而遗。颇怪之，亦以为偶然。入夜，又梦之。如是三四夜。心大异，不敢息烛，身虽偃卧，惕然自警。才交睫，梦女复来；方狎，忽自惊寤；急开目，则少女如仙，俨然犹在抱也。见生醒，顿自愧怯。生虽知非人，意亦甚得；无暇问讯，直与驰骤。女若不堪，曰：「狂暴如此，无怪人不敢明告也。」生始诘之。答云：「妾伍氏秋月。先父名儒，邃于易数。常珍爱妾；但言不永寿，故不许字人。后十五岁果夭殁，即攒瘗阁东，令与地平。亦无冢志，惟立片石于棺侧，曰：『女秋月，葬无冢，三十年，嫁王鼎。』今已三十年，君适至。心喜，亟欲自荐；寸心羞怯，故假之梦寐耳。」王亦喜，复求讫事。曰：「妾少须阳气，欲求复生，实不禁此风雨。后日好合无限，何必今宵。」遂起而去。次日，复至，坐对笑谑，懽若生平。灭烛登床，无异生人；但女既起，则遗泄流离，沾染茵褥。一夕，明月莹澈，小步庭中。问女：「冥中亦有城郭否？」答曰：「等耳。冥间城府，不在此处，去此可三四里。但以夜为昼。」问：「生人能见之否？」答云：「亦可。」生请往观，女诺之。乘月去，女飘忽若风，王极力追随。歘至一处，女言：「不远矣。」王瞻望殊罔所见。女以唾涂其两眦，启之，明倍于常，视夜色不殊白昼。顿见雉堞在杳霭中；路上行人，如趋墟市。俄二皂絷三四人过，末一人怪类其兄。趋近之，果兄。骇问：「兄那得来？」兄见生，潸然零涕，言：「自不知何事，强被拘囚。」王怒曰：「我兄秉礼君子，何至缧絏如此！」便请二皂，幸且宽释。皂不肯，殊大傲睨。生恚欲与争。兄止之曰：「此是官命，亦合奉法。但余乏用度，索贿良苦。弟归，宜措置。」生把兄臂，哭失声。皂怒，猛掣项索，兄顿颠蹷。生见之，忿火填胸，不能制止，即解佩刀，立决皂首。一皂喊嘶，生又决之。女大惊曰：「杀官使，罪不宥！迟则祸及！请即觅舟北发，归家勿摘提旛，杜门绝出入，七日保无虑也。」王乃挽兄夜买小舟，火急北渡。归见吊客在门，知兄果死。闭门下钥，始入。视兄已渺；入室，则亡者已苏，便呼：「饿死矣！可急备汤饼。」时死已二日，家人尽骇。生乃备言其故。七日启关，去丧旛，人始知其复苏。亲友集问，但伪对之。转思秋月，想念颇烦。遂复南下，至旧阁，秉烛久待，女竟不至。蒙眬欲寝，见一妇人来，曰：「秋月小娘子致意郎君：前以公役被杀，凶犯逃亡，捉得娘子去，见在监押。押役遇之虐。日日盼郎君，当谋作经纪。」王悲愤，便从妇去。至一城都，入西郭，指一门曰：「小娘子暂寄此间。」王入，见房舍颇繁，寄顿囚犯甚多，并无秋月。又进一小扉，斗室中有灯火。王近窗以窥，则秋月坐榻上，掩袖呜泣。二役在侧，撮颐捉履，引以嘲戏。女啼益急。一役挽颈曰：「既为罪犯，尚守贞耶？」王怒，不暇语，持刀直入，一役一刀，摧斩如麻，篡取女郎而出。幸无觉者。裁至旅舍，蓦然即醒。方怪幻梦之凶，见秋月含睇而立。生惊起曳坐，告之以梦。女曰：「真也，非梦也。」生惊曰：「且为奈何！」女叹曰：「此有定数。妾待月尽，始是生期；今已如此，急何能待！当速发瘗处，载妾同归，日频唤妾名，三日可活。但未满时日，骨耎足弱，不能为君任井臼耳。」言已，草草欲出。又返身曰：「妾几忘之，冥追若何？生时，父传我符书，言三十年后，可佩夫妇。」乃索笔疾书两符，曰：「一君自佩，一黏妾背。」送之出，志其没处，掘尺许，即见棺木，亦已败腐。侧有小碑，果如女言。发棺视之，女颜色如生。抱入房中，衣裳随风尽化。黏符已，以被褥严裹，负至江滨；呼拢泊舟，伪言妹急病，将送归其家。幸南风大竞，甫晓，已达里门。抱女安置，始告兄嫂。一家惊顾，亦莫敢直言其惑。生启衾，长呼秋月，夜辄拥尸而寝。日渐温煖。三日竟苏，七日能步；更衣拜嫂，盈盈然神仙不殊。但十步之外，须人而行；不则随风摇曳，屡欲倾侧。见者以为身有此病，转更增媚。每劝生曰：「君罪孽太深，宜积德诵经以忏之。不然，寿恐不永也。」生素不佞佛，至此皈依甚虔。后亦无恙。
秦邮人王鼎，字仙湖，为人慷慨，力气很大，交友广泛。十八岁时，他还没成亲，未婚妻就去世了。他每次出远门，常常过了一年还不回来。哥哥王鼐是江北有名的士人，对弟弟情意很深，劝他不要再四处游历，打算替他挑选妻子。王鼎不听，乘船到镇江访友。朋友出门去了，他就在客店楼上租了房间。江水清澈，金山就在眼前，他心里十分畅快。第二天，朋友回来，请他搬去同住，他推辞了，不肯离开。他住了半个多月，一夜梦见一个女子，年纪约十四五岁，容貌端正美丽，上床与他亲热，醒来后便发现自己遗精了。他觉得奇怪，却也以为只是偶然。入夜后，又梦见她，接连三四夜都是如此。他心里非常惊异，不敢熄灭蜡烛，虽然躺下，却时刻警醒。刚一合眼，梦里的女子又来了，正在亲热，他忽然惊醒，急忙睁眼，只见一个美如仙人的少女，分明还在自己怀里。女子见他醒来，顿时又羞又怕。王鼎虽然知道她不是人，心里却很喜欢，顾不上询问，便迫不及待地与她亲热。女子像是承受不住，说：“你这么粗暴，难怪人家不敢明着来告诉你。”王鼎这才询问她的来历。她回答：“我姓伍，名叫秋月。先父是位有名的儒生，精通用《易经》推算吉凶。他一向很疼爱我，只是说我不能长寿，所以不肯把我许配给人。后来，我十五岁时果然死了。他把我暂时埋在这座楼阁东边，让埋葬处与地面齐平，没有坟头，也没有墓志，只在棺材旁立了一片石头，写着：‘女子秋月，葬时不筑坟头，三十年后，嫁给王鼎。’如今已经三十年，你恰好来到这里。我心里欢喜，急着来亲近你，却又害羞，所以才借梦境相见。”王鼎也很高兴，又想接着和她亲热。她说：“我需要一些阳气，想让自己重新活过来，实在禁不起你这样的折腾。以后相聚的日子还长，何必急在今晚。”说完便起身走了。第二天，她又来了，两人相对坐着，说笑逗趣，亲近得像相识已久。熄灯上床后，她与活人没有分别，只是女子起身后，精液流了出来，沾湿了被褥。一天晚上，月光明亮清澈，两人在院子里慢步。王鼎问她：“阴间也有城池吗？”她回答：“和阳间一样。阴间的城池不在这里，离这里大约三四里，只是把夜晚当作白天。”王鼎问：“活人能看见吗？”她说：“也能。”王鼎请求去看看，女子答应了。他们趁着月光出发，女子飘忽得像风一样，王鼎竭力追赶。忽然来到一处，女子说：“不远了。”王鼎放眼望去，却什么也看不见。女子用唾沫涂在他两边的眼角。他睁开眼睛，视力比平时清楚一倍，看夜色也与白昼无异。顿时看见远处雾气中有城墙，路上行人来来往往，像是在赶集。不一会儿，两个穿黑衣的衙役绑着三四个人走过，最后一个人很像他哥哥。王鼎赶近一看，果然是哥哥，吃惊地问：“哥哥，你怎么到这里来了？”哥哥见到他，流着泪说：“我自己也不知道出了什么事，硬被他们抓来囚禁。”王鼎怒道：“我哥哥是个守礼的君子，为什么竟被这样捆着！”他便请求两个衙役，暂且放了哥哥。衙役不肯，神态十分傲慢。王鼎气愤，想与他们争论。哥哥制止他说：“这是官府的命令，也该依法办事。只是我没有钱，他们索要贿赂，逼得我很苦。弟弟回家后，要设法筹措。”王鼎抓住哥哥的胳膊，放声痛哭。衙役发怒，猛拽套在哥哥脖子上的绳索，哥哥一下子跌倒。王鼎看见，怒火填满胸膛，再也按捺不住，拔出佩刀，当场砍下那个衙役的头。另一个衙役嘶声喊叫，王鼎又砍下他的头。女子大惊，说：“杀了官府差役，是不能赦免的罪！迟了就会惹来灾祸！请马上找船北去，回家后不要摘掉丧幡，关紧门户，断绝出入，七天后就可以保你无事。”王鼎便挽着哥哥，连夜雇了小船，急急渡江北去。回到家，看见吊丧的客人在门前，才知道哥哥果然死了。他关门上锁，才往里走。这时哥哥已经从身边消失，进屋一看，死者已经苏醒，正喊：“饿死了！快准备汤饼！”当时哥哥已死了两天，一家人全都惊骇。王鼎便把事情经过详细说了。七天后，他们打开门户，撤去丧幡，别人才知道哥哥复活了。亲友聚来询问，他们只编了些话应付。王鼎又想起秋月，思念得十分苦恼，便再次南下，来到原先的楼阁，点着蜡烛等了很久，女子始终没来。他迷迷糊糊正要睡着，看见一个妇人进来，说：“秋月小娘子向郎君问好。先前因为公役被杀，凶犯逃走，他们就抓了小娘子去，如今正在监禁。看守的差役虐待她。她天天盼着郎君，你得想办法救她。”王鼎又悲又怒，便跟着妇人前去。他们来到一座城，进了西城，妇人指着一扇门说：“小娘子暂时被关在这里。”王鼎进去，看见房屋很多，关押着许多囚犯，却没有秋月。他又进了一扇小门，一间小屋里亮着灯。王鼎靠近窗户往里看，只见秋月坐在床上，用袖子掩着脸哭泣。两个差役在旁边，捏她的下巴，抓她的鞋子，拉扯着调戏。女子哭得更急。一个差役拉住她的脖子，说：“已经成了罪犯，还要守贞洁吗？”王鼎大怒，顾不上说话，提刀直冲进去，一个差役一刀，像砍麻秆一样把他们砍倒，夺下女子出来。幸好没有人察觉。刚到客店，他忽然醒了，正惊疑怎么做了这么凶险的梦，却看见秋月含情望着他，站在面前。他惊得起身，拉她坐下，告诉她梦里的事。女子说：“那是真的，不是梦。”王鼎惊问：“那该怎么办！”女子叹道：“这都是命中注定。我本要等到月底，才到复生的时候；如今事情已经这样，哪里还等得下去！你得赶快挖开我的埋葬处，把我带回家，每天多次呼唤我的名字，三天就能活过来。只是还没到该复生的日子，骨头软，腿脚无力，不能替你打水舂米、料理家务。”说完，匆匆要出门，又转身说：“我差点忘了，阴间来追捕怎么办？活着的时候，父亲传给我符书，说三十年后，我们夫妻可以佩戴。”她便要来笔，飞快写了两道符，说：“一道你自己佩戴，一道贴在我背上。”王鼎送她出门，记下她消失的地方，挖了一尺多，便看见棺木，已经腐朽。旁边有块小碑，果然与女子说的一样。他打开棺材，看见女子容貌如同活着，便把她抱进房中。她的衣裳被风一吹，全都化散了。贴好符后，他用被褥严严实实地裹住她，背到江边，招呼停泊的船靠过来，谎称妹妹得了急病，要送她回家。幸好南风很大，天刚亮就到了家乡。他把女子抱进去安置好，才告诉哥哥嫂嫂。一家人惊讶地看着，却也没人敢直接说出心中的疑惑。王鼎掀开被子，大声呼唤秋月，夜里便抱着她的尸身睡觉。她的身体一天比一天暖和，三天后果然苏醒，七天后能够走路。她换好衣裳，拜见嫂嫂，姿态轻盈，与仙人没有分别。只是走上十步以后，就得有人搀扶，否则便随风摇晃，常常像要倒下。看见的人以为她身体有这种病，反倒觉得她更加娇媚。她常劝王鼎说：“你的罪孽太深，应该积德、诵经，忏悔这些罪过。不然，恐怕不能长寿。”王鼎原本不崇信佛教，从这以后却皈依得十分虔诚，后来也一直平安无事。
Wang Ding of Qinyou, styled Xianhu, was open-handed and strong, and made friends far and wide. At eighteen he was still unmarried: the girl he was to marry had died. Whenever he went travelling he would be gone a year or more. His elder brother, Wang Nai, a well-known scholar north of the Yangtze, was deeply attached to him. He urged Wang to give up roaming and offered to find him a wife. Wang would not listen, and took a boat to Zhenjiang to visit a friend. The friend was away, so he rented an upstairs room at an inn. The river ran clear below, and Mount Jin was in view; he was delighted with the place. The next day his friend came and asked him to move to his house, but Wang declined to leave. He had been there more than half a month when one night he dreamed of a girl of fourteen or fifteen, lovely and graceful, who got into his bed and lay with him. He woke to find he had spent himself. He thought it strange, but put it down to chance. That night he dreamed of her again, and so on for three or four nights. Now he was truly amazed. He dared not put out the candle, and though he lay down, he kept himself on guard. The moment his eyes closed, the girl came to him in a dream again. Just as they began to make love he started awake. He opened his eyes at once, and there was a girl as lovely as an immortal, still plainly in his arms. Seeing him awake, she was suddenly shy and frightened. Wang knew she was not human, but he was very pleased; without stopping to ask questions, he simply took her, riding hard. She seemed unable to bear it. “So rough!” she said. “No wonder I didn’t dare come to you openly.” Only then did Wang ask who she was. “My name is Wu Qiuyue,” she said. “My late father was a famous scholar, deeply versed in reading fate by the Book of Changes. He loved me dearly, but he said I would not live long, so he would not promise me to anyone. Sure enough, I died at fifteen. He laid me in a shallow grave just east of this building, level with the ground. There was no mound and no epitaph, only a small stone set beside the coffin, which said: ‘The girl Qiuyue, buried without a mound. In thirty years she will marry Wang Ding.’ The thirty years are up now, and you have come. I was glad, and longed to offer myself to you, but I was too shy, so I came to you in dreams.” Wang was glad too, and asked to finish what they had begun. “I need a little yang from you if I am to live again,” she said, “but I truly can’t bear such a storm. We’ll have endless joy together later on. Why must it be tonight?” And she got up and left. The next day she came again. They sat face to face, laughing and teasing, as happy as if they had always known each other. They put out the candle and went to bed, and she was no different from a living woman. Only, when she got up, his seed ran out of her and soaked the bedding. One night, when the moon was bright and clear, they strolled in the courtyard. “Are there cities in the world of the dead too?” Wang asked. “Just the same as here,” she said. “The city of the dead isn’t here; it’s three or four li away. But there they take night for day.” “Can the living see it?” “They can.” Wang asked to go and look, and she agreed. They set off by moonlight. She drifted along like the wind, and Wang had to strain to keep up. Suddenly they came to a place. “Not far now,” she said. Wang peered around but could see nothing at all. She smeared spittle on the corners of his eyes and opened them; now he saw twice as clearly as usual, and the night looked no different from broad day. All at once he saw battlements in the mist, and people on the road hurrying along as if to market. Presently two runners in black came by leading three or four men in bonds, and the last of them looked strangely like his brother. Wang hurried closer: it was his brother. “Brother, how did you get here?” he cried. At the sight of him his brother burst into tears. “I don’t know what I’ve done,” he said. “They seized me and made me a prisoner.” “My brother is a gentleman who keeps to the rites,” said Wang angrily. “What has he done to be bound like this?” He begged the two runners to let his brother go for now. They refused, and looked down their noses at him. Wang was furious and about to quarrel with them, but his brother stopped him. “These are the officials’ orders,” he said. “We must obey the law. But I have no money, and they keep squeezing me hard for bribes. When you get home, find some.” Wang gripped his brother’s arm and sobbed aloud. The runner grew angry and gave the rope round his brother’s neck a savage yank, and his brother fell headlong. At the sight, rage filled Wang’s chest past all control. He drew the knife at his belt and struck off the runner’s head on the spot. The other runner shouted, and Wang struck off his head too. The girl was horrified. “Killing officers on duty is a crime beyond pardon!” she said. “Delay, and disaster will catch you! Find a boat and go north at once. When you get home, don’t take down the mourning banner. Shut the gate and let no one in or out, and in seven days you’ll be safe.” Wang took his brother by the arm, hired a small boat that night, and crossed north in all haste. When he reached home there were mourners at the gate, and he knew his brother really had died. He shut the gate and locked it before he went in. His brother had vanished from his side; but in the inner room the dead man had come back to life and was calling, “I’m starving! Quick, bring me some noodle soup!” He had been dead two days by then, and the whole household was aghast. Wang told them everything. After seven days they opened the gate and took down the banner, and only then did people learn that the brother had revived. When friends and relatives gathered to ask, they were told a made-up story. Wang’s thoughts turned to Qiuyue, and he missed her painfully. So he went south again to the old upstairs room, and sat up a long while by candlelight, waiting; but she never came. He was dozing off when a woman appeared and said, “Miss Qiuyue sends her respects to you, sir. Because the runners were killed and the murderer escaped, they arrested her instead, and she is in prison now. The guards are cruel to her. Every day she looks for you to come. You must find some way to help her.” Wang was grieved and enraged, and went with the woman. They came to a walled city and went in through the western quarter. She pointed to a gate. “The young lady is being held here for now.” Wang went in. There were a great many rooms, crowded with prisoners, but no Qiuyue. He went through another small door and saw a lamp burning in a tiny room. He crept up to the window and peeped in. Qiuyue was sitting on the couch, sobbing behind her sleeve. Two guards stood beside her, chucking her under the chin and grabbing at her feet, teasing and taunting her. She wept harder. One guard pulled her by the neck: “You’re a criminal now, and you still keep your virtue?” Wang flew into a rage. Without a word he burst in with his knife — one guard, one stroke — and cut them down like hemp stalks. He snatched the girl and carried her out. Luckily no one noticed. He had only just got back to the inn when he woke with a start. He was marvelling at so bloody a dream when he saw Qiuyue standing there, gazing at him tenderly. He sprang up, drew her down to sit beside him, and told her his dream. “It was real,” she said. “It wasn’t a dream.” “Then what are we to do?” cried Wang in alarm. She sighed. “This was fated. I was not to be born again until the end of the month. But now that things have come to this, how can we wait? Dig up my grave quickly and take me home with you. Call my name often, every day, and in three days I can live. But my time isn’t full yet; my bones will be soft and my legs weak, and I won’t be able to draw water and pound grain for you.” With that she made to go in haste, then turned back. “I almost forgot. What if the underworld comes after us? When I was alive, my father gave me a book of charms, and said that after thirty years husband and wife could wear them.” She asked for a brush and quickly wrote out two charms. “One for you to wear,” she said, “and one to paste on my back.” Wang saw her out and marked the place where she vanished. When he had dug a foot or so he came on the coffin, already rotting. Beside it was a small stone, just as she had said. He opened the coffin: her face looked as if she were alive. He carried her into his room, and her clothes crumbled away in the breeze. When he had pasted on the charm, he wrapped her tightly in quilts and carried her on his back down to the river. There he hailed a boat at its moorings, saying that his sister had been taken suddenly ill and he was bringing her home. Luckily a strong south wind was blowing, and by first light they had reached his village gate. He carried the girl in and settled her, and only then told his brother and sister-in-law. The whole family stared in alarm, but no one dared speak their doubts aloud. Wang opened the quilt and called “Qiuyue!” long and loud, and at night he slept with the body in his arms. Day by day it grew warmer. On the third day she actually came to; on the seventh she could walk. She changed her clothes and went to pay her respects to her sister-in-law, so light and graceful she might have been an immortal. But beyond ten paces she needed someone to lean on; otherwise she swayed in the wind and kept nearly falling over. People who saw her thought she had some ailment, and found her all the more charming. She often urged Wang: “Your sins are very heavy. You should do good works and recite the sutras to atone for them. If you don’t, I fear you won’t live long.” Wang had never been one to court the Buddha, but from then on he became a most devout believer. And no harm came to him afterwards.