且說那員外迎面見了兩個公差。誰知他卻認得江樊，連忙吩咐家丁快快鬆了綁縛，請到裡面去坐。
且说那员外迎面见了两个公差。谁知他却认得江樊，连忙吩咐家丁快快松了绑缚，请到里面去坐。
Now, when the squire came face to face with the two constables — who would have thought it? — he knew Jiang Fan. He hastily told his servants to untie them at once and invited them inside to sit down.
你道這員外卻是何等樣人？他姓林單名一個春字，也是個不安本分的。當初同江樊他兩個人原是破落戶出身，只因林春發了一注外財，便與江樊分手。江樊卻又上了開封府當皁隸，暗暗的熬上了差役頭目。林春久已聽得江樊在開封府當差，就要仍然結識於他。誰知江樊見了相爺秉正除奸，又見展爺等英雄豪俠，心中羨慕，頗有向上之心。他竟改邪歸正。將夙日所為之事一想，全然不是在規矩之中，以後總要做好事當好人才是。不想今日被林春主管雷洪拿來，見了員外，卻是林春。
你道这员外却是何等样人？他姓林单名一个春字，也是个不安本分的。当初同江樊他两个人原是破落户出身，只因林春发了一注外财，便与江樊分手。江樊却又上了开封府当皂隶，暗暗的熬上了差役头目。林春久已听得江樊在开封府当差，就要仍然结识于他。谁知江樊见了相爷秉正除奸，又见展爷等英雄豪侠，心中羡慕，颇有向上之心。他竟改邪归正。将夙日所为之事一想，全然不是在规矩之中，以后总要做好事当好人才是。不想今日被林春主管雷洪拿来，见了员外，却是林春。
You may wonder, reader, what sort of man this squire was. His surname was Lin and his given name was the single character Chun, and he too was a man who never kept to his proper place. In the old days he and Jiang Fan had both started out as down-and-outs; but when Lin Chun came into a windfall, he and Jiang Fan went their separate ways. Jiang Fan went on to serve in Kaifeng Prefecture as a runner and quietly worked his way up to head of the runners. Lin Chun had heard long ago that Jiang Fan was serving at Kaifeng, and he meant to take up with him again as before. But who could have known? Since Jiang Fan had watched Lord Bao uphold justice and root out the wicked, and seen Zhan Zhao and the other heroes and gallants, he had come to admire them and had a real wish to better himself. He had actually turned from his wrong ways and come back to the right. When he thought over all the things he used to do, he saw that none of them had been within the rules, and from now on he meant to do good deeds and be a good man. He never imagined that today he would be seized by Lin Chun’s steward, Lei Hong, and brought before the squire — and the squire would turn out to be Lin Chun.
林春連稱「恕罪」，即刻將江樊黃茂讓至待客廳上。獻茶已畢，林春欠身道：「實實不知是二位上差，多有得罪。望乞看當初的分上，務求遮蓋一二。」江樊道：「你我原是同過患難的，這有甚麼要緊。但請放心。」說罷，執手。別過頭來，就要起身。這本是個脫身之計。不想林春更是奸滑油透的，忙攔道：「江賢弟，且不必忙。」便向小童一使眼色。小童連忙端出一個盤子，裡面放定四封銀子。林春笑道：「些須薄禮，望乞笑納。」江樊道：「林兄，你這就錯了。似這點事兒有甚要緊，難道用這銀子買囑小弟不成？斷難從命。」林春聽了，登時放下臉來，道：「江樊，你好不知時務。我好意念昔日之情，賞臉給你銀兩，你竟敢推托。想來你是仗著開封府藐視於我。──好，好！」回頭叫聲：「雷洪，將他二人吊起來，給我著實拷打。立刻叫他寫下字樣，再回我知道。」
林春连称「恕罪」，即刻将江樊黄茂让至待客厅上。献茶已毕，林春欠身道：「实实不知是二位上差，多有得罪。望乞看当初的分上，务求遮盖一二。」江樊道：「你我原是同过患难的，这有甚么要紧。但请放心。」说罢，执手。别过头来，就要起身。这本是个脱身之计。不想林春更是奸滑油透的，忙拦道：「江贤弟，且不必忙。」便向小童一使眼色。小童连忙端出一个盘子，里面放定四封银子。林春笑道：「些须薄礼，望乞笑纳。」江樊道：「林兄，你这就错了。似这点事儿有甚要紧，难道用这银子买嘱小弟不成？断难从命。」林春听了，登时放下脸来，道：「江樊，你好不知时务。我好意念昔日之情，赏脸给你银两，你竟敢推托。想来你是仗着开封府藐视于我。──好，好！」回头叫声：「雷洪，将他二人吊起来，给我着实拷打。立刻叫他写下字样，再回我知道。」
Lin Chun kept saying, “Forgive me, forgive me!” and at once showed Jiang Fan and Huang Mao into the reception hall. When the tea had been served, Lin Chun half rose from his seat and said, “I truly, truly didn’t know it was you two gentlemen from the yamen. I’ve done you a great wrong. I beg you, for the sake of the old days, do cover this up for me a little.” “You and I went through hard times together,” said Jiang Fan. “What does a thing like this matter? Just set your mind at ease.” With that he clasped his hands in farewell, turned his head away and made to get up. This was really a ruse to get himself out of there. But Lin Chun was slippery and cunning through and through, and he hastily stopped him. “My good brother Jiang, there’s no need to hurry.” And he gave a serving boy a wink. The boy hurried out with a tray, and on it lay four packets of silver. Lin Chun smiled. “A trifling little gift. I hope you’ll do me the kindness of accepting it.” “Brother Lin, now you’ve gone wrong,” said Jiang Fan. “A little thing like this, what does it matter? Do you mean to buy me off with silver? I couldn’t possibly go along with that.” At that Lin Chun’s face went hard at once. “Jiang Fan,” he said, “you don’t know which way the wind blows. Out of kindness I remember our old friendship and do you the honour of giving you silver, and you dare to turn it down! I suppose you think Kaifeng Prefecture puts you above me. Good, very good!” He turned his head and called, “Lei Hong, string the two of them up and give them a proper beating for me. Make them put it in writing on the spot, and then come and tell me.”