且說蔣平等來到平縣。縣官立刻審問武平安。武平安說他姊姊因私放了三公子後，竟自縊身死。眾人聽了已覺可惜。忽又聽說他外甥鄧九如也死了，更覺詫異。縣官問道：「鄧九如多大了？」武平安說：「今年才交七歲。」縣官說：「他小小年紀，如何也死了呢？」武平安道：「只因埋了他母親之後，他苦苦的合小人要他媽。小人一時性起，就將他踢了一頓腳，他就死在山漥子裡咧。」趙虎聽到此，登時怒氣填胸，站將起來，就把武平安盡力踢了幾腳，踢得他滿地打滾。還是張蔣二人勸住。又問了劉豸劉獬，也就招認因貧起見，就幫著武平安每夜行劫度日，俱供是實，一齊寄監。縣官又向蔣平等商議了一番，惟有趕急訪查三公子下落要緊。
且说蒋平等来到平县。县官立刻审问武平安。武平安说他姊姊因私放了三公子后，竟自缢身死。众人听了已觉可惜。忽又听说他外甥邓九如也死了，更觉诧异。县官问道：「邓九如多大了？」武平安说：「今年才交七岁。」县官说：「他小小年纪，如何也死了呢？」武平安道：「只因埋了他母亲之后，他苦苦的合小人要他妈。小人一时性起，就将他踢了一顿脚，他就死在山漥子里咧。」赵虎听到此，登时怒气填胸，站将起来，就把武平安尽力踢了几脚，踢得他满地打滚。还是张蒋二人劝住。又问了刘豸刘獬，也就招认因贫起见，就帮着武平安每夜行劫度日，俱供是实，一齐寄监。县官又向蒋平等商议了一番，惟有赶急访查三公子下落要紧。
Now, Jiang Ping and the others came to Ping County, and the magistrate at once put Wu Ping’an to questioning. Wu Ping’an said that after his sister had secretly let the third young master go, she had hanged herself. Everyone thought it a pity already. Then they heard that his nephew, Deng Jiuru, was dead as well, and they were more startled still. “How old was Deng Jiuru?” asked the magistrate. “He’d only just turned seven this year,” said Wu Ping’an. “Such a little boy,” said the magistrate. “How did he come to die too?” “It’s like this,” said Wu Ping’an. “After we buried his mother, he kept on and on at me, wanting his mum. I lost my temper and gave him a good kicking, and he died out there in the hollow in the hills, that’s all.” When Zhao Hu heard this, his chest filled with fury. He sprang up and kicked Wu Ping’an several times as hard as he could, until the man was rolling all over the floor; it was Zhang Long and Jiang Ping who held him back. Then Liu Zhi and Liu Xie were questioned, and they too confessed: they had been poor, and so they had helped Wu Ping’an rob by night to make a living. All of them swore their statements were true, and all three were sent off to the jail together. The magistrate talked things over with Jiang Ping and the others once more, and they agreed that nothing mattered more than to search out the third young master’s whereabouts with all speed.
你道這三公子逃脫何方去了？他卻奔到一家，正是學究方善，乃是一個飽學的寒儒。家中並無多少房屋，只是上房三間，卻是方先生同女兒玉芝小姐居住，外有廂房三間做書房。那包世榮投到他家，就在這屋內居住。只因他年幼書生，從小嬌生慣養，那裡受得這樣辛苦，又如此驚嚇，一時之間就染起病來。多虧了方先生精心調理，方覺好些。
你道这三公子逃脱何方去了？他却奔到一家，正是学究方善，乃是一个饱学的寒儒。家中并无多少房屋，只是上房三间，却是方先生同女儿玉芝小姐居住，外有厢房三间做书房。那包世荣投到他家，就在这屋内居住。只因他年幼书生，从小娇生惯养，那里受得这样辛苦，又如此惊吓，一时之间就染起病来。多亏了方先生精心调理，方觉好些。
You may wonder, reader, where the third young master had fled to. He had run to a house that happened to belong to a schoolmaster named Fang Shan, a deeply learned but poor scholar. The house had few rooms: there were just the three best rooms, where Mr. Fang lived with his daughter, Miss Yuzhi, and beyond them a side wing of three rooms that served as a study. When Bao Shirong took refuge in the house, it was in these rooms that he stayed. He was a young scholar who had been pampered and indulged from childhood — how could he bear such hardship, and such a fright besides? Before long he fell ill. Only thanks to Mr. Fang’s careful nursing did he begin to feel a little better.
一日，方善上街給公子打藥，在路上拾了一隻金鐲，看了看拿到銀鋪內去瞧成色；恰被宋升看見，訛成窩家，扭到縣內，已成訟案。即有人送了信來。玉芝小姐一聽他爹爹遭了官司，那裡還有主意咧，便哭哭啼啼。家中又無別人。
一日，方善上街给公子打药，在路上拾了一只金镯，看了看拿到银铺内去瞧成色；恰被宋升看见，讹成窝家，扭到县内，已成讼案。即有人送了信来。玉芝小姐一听他爹爹遭了官司，那里还有主意咧，便哭哭啼啼。家中又无别人。
One day, when Fang Shan went out to buy medicine for the young master, he picked up a gold bracelet in the road. He looked it over and took it to a silversmith’s to have the gold assayed — and just then Song Sheng saw him, falsely named him as a receiver of stolen goods and dragged him off to the county yamen. It had already become a lawsuit. Someone came at once to bring word. When Miss Yuzhi heard that her father had been caught up in a court case, she was at her wits’ end and could only weep and wail. There was no one else in the house.