濟陽祝村有祝翁者，年五十餘，病卒。家人入室理縗絰，忽聞翁呼甚急。群奔集靈寢，則見翁已復活。群喜慰問。翁但謂媼曰：「我適去，拚不復返。行數里，轉思拋汝一副老皮骨在兒輩手，寒熱仰人，亦無復生趣，不如從我去。故復歸，欲偕爾同行也。」咸以其新蘇妄語，殊未深信。翁又言之。媼云：「如此亦復佳。但方生，如何便得死？」翁揮之曰：「是不難。家中俗務，可速作料理。」媼笑不去。翁又促之。乃出戶外，延數刻而入，紿之曰：「處置安妥矣。」翁命速妝。媼不去，翁催益急。媼不忍拂其意，遂裙妝以出。媳女皆匿笑。翁移首于枕，手拍令臥。媼曰：「子女皆在，雙雙挺臥，是何景象？」翁捶床曰：「並死有何可笑！」子女見翁躁急，共勸媼姑從其意。媼如言，並枕僵臥。家人又共笑之。俄視，媼笑容忽斂，又漸而兩眸俱合，久之無聲，儼如睡去。眾始近視，則膚已冰而鼻無息矣。試翁亦然，始共驚怛。康熙二十一年，翁弟婦傭于畢刺史之家，言之甚悉。
濟陽祝村有個祝老翁，五十多歲時，因病去世。家人進屋整理喪服，忽然聽見老翁急切地呼喊。大家一起跑到停放遺體的床前，發現老翁已經復活。眾人高興地問候他，老翁卻只對妻子說：「我剛才走了，本來打定主意不再回來。走了幾里路，又想到把你這把老骨頭留在兒女手裡，冷了熱了都得依靠別人，活著也不會再有什麼意思，不如跟我一起走。所以我又回來了，想帶你一同去。」大家都以為他剛剛甦醒，說的是胡話，並不怎麼相信。老翁又說了一遍。妻子說：「這樣倒也好。只是我現在還活著，怎麼能馬上就死呢？」老翁揮揮手說：「這不難。家裡的雜事，你趕緊去料理一下。」妻子笑著不肯去，老翁又催她。她這才走到屋外，拖了一陣才進來，騙他說：「都安排妥當了。」老翁讓她趕緊梳妝穿戴。她不肯去，老翁催得越發急了。她不忍心違揹他的意思，就穿好裙子，梳妝完畢後出來。兒媳和女兒們都偷偷地笑。老翁把枕上的頭挪開一些，用手拍著床，讓她躺下。妻子說：「兒女都在這裡，我們兩個直挺挺地並排躺著，像什麼樣子？」老翁捶著床說：「一起死有什麼可笑的！」兒女們看他急躁，便一起勸母親暫且順著他的意思。妻子照他們說的，和老翁並著枕頭，直挺挺地躺下。家人又一起笑起來。過了一會兒再看，妻子臉上的笑容忽然消失了，兩隻眼睛也漸漸閉上，許久沒有聲音，彷彿睡著了一樣。大家這才走近檢視，發現她的皮膚已經冰冷，鼻子也沒了呼吸。再試試老翁，也是一樣，眾人這才驚恐悲痛起來。康熙二十一年，老翁的弟媳在畢刺史家做傭人，把這件事講得十分詳細。
济阳祝村有祝翁者，年五十余，病卒。家人入室理缞绖，忽闻翁呼甚急。群奔集灵寝，则见翁已复活。群喜慰问。翁但谓媪曰：「我适去，拼不复返。行数里，转思抛汝一副老皮骨在儿辈手，寒热仰人，亦无复生趣，不如从我去。故复归，欲偕尔同行也。」咸以其新苏妄语，殊未深信。翁又言之。媪云：「如此亦复佳。但方生，如何便得死？」翁挥之曰：「是不难。家中俗务，可速作料理。」媪笑不去。翁又促之。乃出户外，延数刻而入，绐之曰：「处置安妥矣。」翁命速妆。媪不去，翁催益急。媪不忍拂其意，遂裙妆以出。媳女皆匿笑。翁移首于枕，手拍令卧。媪曰：「子女皆在，双双挺卧，是何景象？」翁捶床曰：「并死有何可笑！」子女见翁躁急，共劝媪姑从其意。媪如言，并枕僵卧。家人又共笑之。俄视，媪笑容忽敛，又渐而两眸俱合，久之无声，俨如睡去。众始近视，则肤已冰而鼻无息矣。试翁亦然，始共惊怛。康熙二十一年，翁弟妇佣于毕刺史之家，言之甚悉。
济阳祝村有个祝老翁，五十多岁时，因病去世。家人进屋整理丧服，忽然听见老翁急切地呼喊。大家一起跑到停放遗体的床前，发现老翁已经复活。众人高兴地问候他，老翁却只对妻子说：“我刚才走了，本来打定主意不再回来。走了几里路，又想到把你这把老骨头留在儿女手里，冷了热了都得依靠别人，活着也不会再有什么意思，不如跟我一起走。所以我又回来了，想带你一同去。”大家都以为他刚刚苏醒，说的是胡话，并不怎么相信。老翁又说了一遍。妻子说：“这样倒也好。只是我现在还活着，怎么能马上就死呢？”老翁挥挥手说：“这不难。家里的杂事，你赶紧去料理一下。”妻子笑着不肯去，老翁又催她。她这才走到屋外，拖了一阵才进来，骗他说：“都安排妥当了。”老翁让她赶紧梳妆穿戴。她不肯去，老翁催得越发急了。她不忍心违背他的意思，就穿好裙子，梳妆完毕后出来。儿媳和女儿们都偷偷地笑。老翁把枕上的头挪开一些，用手拍着床，让她躺下。妻子说：“儿女都在这里，我们两个直挺挺地并排躺着，像什么样子？”老翁捶着床说：“一起死有什么可笑的！”儿女们看他急躁，便一起劝母亲暂且顺着他的意思。妻子照他们说的，和老翁并着枕头，直挺挺地躺下。家人又一起笑起来。过了一会儿再看，妻子脸上的笑容忽然消失了，两只眼睛也渐渐闭上，许久没有声音，仿佛睡着了一样。大家这才走近查看，发现她的皮肤已经冰冷，鼻子也没了呼吸。再试试老翁，也是一样，众人这才惊恐悲痛起来。康熙二十一年，老翁的弟媳在毕刺史家做佣人，把这件事讲得十分详细。
In Zhu Village in Jiyang there was an old man named Zhu. He was in his fifties when he fell ill and died. The family had gone into the room to see to the mourning clothes when suddenly they heard him calling out, very urgently. They all ran to where the body lay, and found that he had come back to life. Overjoyed, they crowded round asking how he was. But the old man spoke only to his wife. “Just now I left,” he said, “and I meant never to come back. But after a few li I thought again: if I leave you, an old bag of skin and bones, in the children’s hands, at others’ mercy whether you’re cold or warm, there’ll be no joy left in living for you. Better you come with me. So I came back, to take you along.” They all took this for the raving of a man just revived, and none of them really believed it. The old man said it again. “That would be fine, too,” said his wife. “But I’m alive just now. How am I to die all of a sudden?” He waved her off. “That’s not hard. Go and settle the household business, quickly.” She laughed and did not go. He urged her again. So she went out of the room, stayed away a little while, and came back in. “It’s all seen to,” she told him, to put him off. He told her to dress at once. She did not go, and he pressed her harder still. Not having the heart to cross him, she put on her skirt and her finery and came out. The daughters-in-law and daughters all hid their smiles. The old man moved his head over on the pillow and patted it for her to lie down. “The children are all here,” said his wife. “The two of us stretched out side by side — what kind of sight is that?” He pounded the bed. “What’s funny about dying together?” Seeing him so agitated, the sons and daughters all urged her to humour him for now. She did as they said and lay down stiff beside him, sharing his pillow. The family laughed at them again. A moment later they looked, and the smile had suddenly gone from her face. Then little by little both her eyes closed. For a long time there was no sound; she seemed to have fallen asleep. Only then did they go close to look: her skin was already cold and there was no breath in her nose. They tried the old man, and it was the same. Only then were they all shocked and stricken. In the twenty-first year of the Kangxi reign, the old man’s younger brother’s wife was a servant in the household of Prefect Bi, and she told the whole story in detail.
異史氏曰：「翁其夙有畸行與？泉路茫茫，去來由爾，奇矣！且白頭者欲其去，則呼令去，抑何其暇也！人當屬纊之時，所最不忍訣者，床頭之昵人耳。苟廣其術，則賣履分香，可以不事矣。」
異史氏說：「這老翁莫非早就有異於常人的道術？黃泉路茫茫無盡，他卻能隨意來去，真是奇事！而且，他想讓白頭老伴跟著走，就把她叫來，讓她走，又是何等從容！人到了臨終的時候，最不忍心訣別的，就是床邊親近的人。如果能把他的法術傳開，那麼，臨終安排妻妾賣鞋謀生、給她們分贈香料這些事，就不必再做了。」
异史氏曰：「翁其夙有畸行与？泉路茫茫，去来由尔，奇矣！且白头者欲其去，则呼令去，抑何其暇也！人当属纩之时，所最不忍诀者，床头之昵人耳。苟广其术，则卖履分香，可以不事矣。」
异史氏说：“这老翁莫非早就有异于常人的道术？黄泉路茫茫无尽，他却能随意来去，真是奇事！而且，他想让白头老伴跟着走，就把她叫来，让她走，又是何等从容！人到了临终的时候，最不忍心诀别的，就是床边亲近的人。如果能把他的法术传开，那么，临终安排妻妾卖鞋谋生、给她们分赠香料这些事，就不必再做了。”
The Historian of the Strange says: Had the old man always been somehow out of the common way? The road to the Yellow Springs is vast and dim, yet he came and went on it as he pleased — remarkable! And when he wanted the white-haired one to go, he simply called her and told her to go — how easy he was about it! When a man lies dying and the floss is held to his nostrils, the one he can least bear to leave is the dear one at his bedside. If this art were spread abroad, there would be no more need to sell shoes and share out the incense.