黃生，故家子，才情頗贍，夙志高騫。村外蘭若，有居僧某，素與分深。既而僧雲遊，去十餘年復歸。見黃，歎曰：「謂君騰達已久，今尚白紵耶？想福命固薄耳。請為君賄冥中主者。能置十千否？」答言：「不能。」僧曰：「請勉辦其半，餘當代假之。三日為約。」黃諾之。竭力典質如數。三日，僧果以五千來付黃。黃家舊有汲水井，深不竭，云通河海。僧命束置井邊，戒曰：「約我到寺，即推墮井中。候半炊時，有一錢泛起，當拜之。」乃去。黃不解何術，轉念效否未定，而十千可惜。乃匿其九，而以一千投之。少間，巨泡突起，鏗然而破，即有一錢浮出，大如車輪。黃大駭。既拜，又取四千投焉。落下，擊觸有聲，為大錢所隔，不得沉。日暮，僧至，譙讓之曰：「胡不盡投？」黃云：「已盡投矣。」僧曰：「冥中使者止將一千去，何乃妄言？」黃實告之。僧歎曰：「鄙吝者必非大器。此子之命合以明經終；不然，甲科立致矣。」黃大悔，求再禳之，僧固辭而去。黃視井中錢猶浮，以綆釣上，大錢乃沉。是歲，黃以副榜准貢，卒如僧言。
黃生是舊時世家子弟，才華很出眾，年輕時就立志飛黃騰達。村外有座寺院，住著一個和尚，向來與他交情深厚。後來和尚出外雲遊，過了十多年才回來。見到黃生，他嘆息道：「我以為你早已飛黃騰達了，怎麼如今還穿著白苧布做的衣服？想來你的福分實在太薄。我替你去賄賂陰間掌事的人。你能湊出一萬文錢嗎？」黃生回答：「不能。」和尚說：「那就請你盡力籌辦一半，其餘的我替你借來。三天以後辦這件事。」黃生答應了，竭盡全力典當東西，湊足了錢。三天後，和尚果然帶來五千文錢，交給黃生。黃生家有一口舊水井，井很深，從來不幹，據說通著江河大海。和尚叫他把錢捆好，放在井邊，叮囑說：「估計我到了寺院，你就把錢推到井裡。等上半頓飯的工夫，會有一枚錢浮起來，你要向它下拜。」說完就走了。黃生不知道這是什麼法術，轉念又想，能不能見效還沒有把握，一萬文錢丟了實在可惜，於是藏起九千文，只把一千文投進井裡。過了一會兒，一個巨大的水泡突然冒出來，鏗的一聲破裂，隨即浮出一枚錢，大得像車輪。黃生大為驚恐。下拜以後，他又取出四千文錢投進去。那些錢落下去，撞得叮噹作響，卻被大錢擋住，沉不下去。傍晚，和尚來了，責備他說：「為什麼沒有全部投下去？」黃生說：「已經全部投下去了。」和尚說：「陰間的使者只帶走了一千文，你為什麼說謊？」黃生便據實相告。和尚嘆道：「鄙陋吝嗇的人，必定成不了大器。你命中就該止步於貢生；否則，進士功名立刻就能得到了。」黃生十分後悔，求和尚再施法替他消災，和尚堅決拒絕，走了。黃生見井裡的錢還浮著，就用井繩把錢撈上來，大錢這才沉下去。這一年，黃生上了副榜，獲准成為貢生，最後果然如和尚所說。
黄生，故家子，才情颇赡，夙志高骞。村外兰若，有居僧某，素与分深。既而僧云游，去十余年复归。见黄，叹曰：「谓君腾达已久，今尚白纻耶？想福命固薄耳。请为君贿冥中主者。能置十千否？」答言：「不能。」僧曰：「请勉办其半，余当代假之。三日为约。」黄诺之。竭力典质如数。三日，僧果以五千来付黄。黄家旧有汲水井，深不竭，云通河海。僧命束置井边，戒曰：「约我到寺，即推堕井中。候半炊时，有一钱泛起，当拜之。」乃去。黄不解何术，转念效否未定，而十千可惜。乃匿其九，而以一千投之。少间，巨泡突起，铿然而破，即有一钱浮出，大如车轮。黄大骇。既拜，又取四千投焉。落下，击触有声，为大钱所隔，不得沉。日暮，僧至，谯让之曰：「胡不尽投？」黄云：「已尽投矣。」僧曰：「冥中使者止将一千去，何乃妄言？」黄实告之。僧叹曰：「鄙吝者必非大器。此子之命合以明经终；不然，甲科立致矣。」黄大悔，求再禳之，僧固辞而去。黄视井中钱犹浮，以绠钓上，大钱乃沉。是岁，黄以副榜准贡，卒如僧言。
黄生是旧时世家子弟，才华很出众，年轻时就立志飞黄腾达。村外有座寺院，住着一个和尚，向来与他交情深厚。后来和尚出外云游，过了十多年才回来。见到黄生，他叹息道：“我以为你早已飞黄腾达了，怎么如今还穿着白苎布做的衣服？想来你的福分实在太薄。我替你去贿赂阴间掌事的人。你能凑出一万文钱吗？”黄生回答：“不能。”和尚说：“那就请你尽力筹办一半，其余的我替你借来。三天以后办这件事。”黄生答应了，竭尽全力典当东西，凑足了钱。三天后，和尚果然带来五千文钱，交给黄生。黄生家有一口旧水井，井很深，从来不干，据说通着江河大海。和尚叫他把钱捆好，放在井边，叮嘱说：“估计我到了寺院，你就把钱推到井里。等上半顿饭的工夫，会有一枚钱浮起来，你要向它下拜。”说完就走了。黄生不知道这是什么法术，转念又想，能不能见效还没有把握，一万文钱丢了实在可惜，于是藏起九千文，只把一千文投进井里。过了一会儿，一个巨大的水泡突然冒出来，铿的一声破裂，随即浮出一枚钱，大得像车轮。黄生大为惊恐。下拜以后，他又取出四千文钱投进去。那些钱落下去，撞得叮当作响，却被大钱挡住，沉不下去。傍晚，和尚来了，责备他说：“为什么没有全部投下去？”黄生说：“已经全部投下去了。”和尚说：“阴间的使者只带走了一千文，你为什么说谎？”黄生便据实相告。和尚叹道：“鄙陋吝啬的人，必定成不了大器。你命中就该止步于贡生；否则，进士功名立刻就能得到了。”黄生十分后悔，求和尚再施法替他消灾，和尚坚决拒绝，走了。黄生见井里的钱还浮着，就用井绳把钱捞上来，大钱这才沉下去。这一年，黄生上了副榜，获准成为贡生，最后果然如和尚所说。
A scholar named Huang came of an old family. He was richly gifted, and from his youth his ambitions soared high. In a temple outside his village lived a certain monk who had long been a close friend of his. Later the monk went off wandering, and after more than ten years he came back. Seeing Huang, he sighed. “I thought you would have risen high long ago. Are you still in plain white hemp? Your portion of fortune must be thin indeed. Let me bribe the one who rules in the underworld for you. Can you lay your hands on ten thousand cash?” “I cannot,” Huang answered. “Then do your best to raise half,” said the monk, “and I will borrow the rest for you. Let us say three days.” Huang agreed. He pawned all he could and raised the sum. On the third day the monk did indeed bring five thousand and handed it over. Huang’s family had an old well for drawing water; it was deep and never ran dry, and it was said to reach the rivers and the sea. The monk had him tie up the money and set it by the well. “When you reckon I have reached the temple,” he warned, “push it all into the well. Wait about half the time it takes to cook a meal, and a coin will float up. You must bow to it.” Then he left. Huang could not see what kind of magic this was. Then it struck him that it might not work at all, and ten thousand cash was a lot to lose. So he hid nine thousand and threw in only one thousand. In a little while a huge bubble surged up and burst with a clang, and out floated a coin as big as a cartwheel. Huang was terrified. When he had bowed to it, he took four thousand more and threw them in. They fell with a clatter onto the great coin, which held them up so that they could not sink. At dusk the monk came and rebuked him. “Why didn’t you throw it all in?” “I did throw it all in,” said Huang. “The messenger from the underworld took only one thousand away,” said the monk. “Why lie to me?” Huang told him the truth. The monk sighed. “A mean, grasping man is never made of great stuff. This fellow is fated to end as a tribute student. Otherwise the highest degree would have been his at once.” Huang bitterly regretted it and begged him to perform the rite again, but the monk firmly refused and went away. Huang saw that the coins in the well were still floating. He fished them up with the well rope, and then the great coin sank. That year Huang was placed on the supplementary list and admitted as a tribute student. It turned out just as the monk had said.